LI  B  RAR.Y 

OF   THL 

UN  IVLRSITY 

or    ILLINOIS 

oop-2> 


ILZTNVIH  MimOHlVAL  HTIBTBY 


FRANK  C.  lAKER. 


LIBRARY 
UT^iVtRSITY  OF  lUINQIS 

urbana" 


THE  GREAT  CAHOKIA  MOUND.  MADISON  CO.,  ILLS. 

lOO  Feet  High,  and  Covering  i6  Acres  of  Ground. 

NOTE— The  above,  although  giving  the  appearance  of  the  Great  Mound  from  the  point  at  -which  the  vint)  tva':  taken,  is  so  mueh/oreshorttnedin 

the  dra-Ming  that  it  gives  no  correet  idea  of  the  size  of  the  monument.     For  seetional  view  and  measurements,  see  pages  101-103. 


FR^NK  C.  6^KtK. 


RECORDS 


C^OF— 


ANCIENT     RACES 


MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY 


JBEING    AN    ACCOUNT    OF    SOME    OF    THE    PICTOGKAPHS,    SCULPTURED 
HIEROGLYPHS,    SYMBOLIC     DEVICES,     EMBLEMS    AND    TRADI- 
TIONS OF  THE  PREHISTORIC  RACES  OF  AMERICA,  WITH 
SOME    SUGGESTIONS    AS    TO    THEIR    ORIGIN. 


With  cuts  and  views  illustrating  over   three   hundred  objects 
and  symbolio  devices. 


By   WM.   McADAMS, 

Author  of  '-The  Ancient  Mounds  of  Illinois."'  '■'Antiquities  of 

Caholda."  Etc. ;  Fellow  of  the  American  Association  for 

the  Advancement  of  Science;  Member  of  St.  Louis 

Academy  of  Science:,   President  of  Illinois 

State    Natural    History    Society. 


ST.  LOUIS: 
C.  K  BARNS  PUBLISHING  CO. 

1887. 


Entered  according-  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1887. 

Bt  WILLIAM  McADAMS, 

In  the  oflBce  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washln^^n. 


DEDICATION. 


I 

AFFECTIONATELY 

DEDICATE  THIS  VOLUME 

TO  TWO  LADS,  MY  SONS,  WHO 

STILL  ABIDE  WITH  ME,    AND  TO 

WHOSE    PLEASANT    COMPANY    I    AM 

INDEBTED    FOR    MANY   HAPPY  DAYS   OF 

EXPLORATION  IN  THE  FIELDS  AND  FORESTS 

ON  THE  BANKS  OF  OUR  LOVED  MISSISSIPPI  RIVBB. 


WM.  McADAMS. 


The  Authok 


His 


Mark. 


PREFACE. 


A  portion  of  the  facts  and  suggestions  embodied  in  this  work 
were  included  in  a  paper  read,  under  the  title  of  "Ancient  Pic- 
too-raphs  on  the  Banks  of  the  Mississippi,  "  before  the  American 
Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  at  the  Ann  Arbor 
meeting  two  years  ago.  The  illustrations  of  the  pictographs, 
beino"  shown  on  canvas,  attracted  so  much  interest  that  we  at  once 
saw  that  the  value  of  the  work  when  printed  would  largely  depend 
on  the  illustrations.  In  having  these  cuts  made,  and  arranging 
them  in  the  text,  the  subject  seemed  to  demand  a  larger  and  more 
complete  discussion ;  showing,  not  only  the  pictographs  and  carv- 
ino-s  on  the  rocks,  but  similar  devices  on  the  mound  pottery  and 
other  objects,  among  which  are  the  curious  gorgets  of  shell  bear- 
ing engraved  representations  of  spiders  with  the  symbol  of  the 
cross  on  their  backs.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  of  the  fine  en- 
o-ravings  used  by  permission  from  Mr.  Gonant's  work,  and  a 
few  cuts  of  emblematic  mounds,  by  permission  of  the  editor  of  the 
'^  American  Antiquarian^  the  most  of  these  illustrations  are  new, 
and  made  from  objects  either  in  my  own  collection  or  the  col- 
lections of  friends. 

We  believe  these  pictographs  have  an  important  bearing  on 
^-.  the  s^udy  of  our  archaeology,  and  may  aid  in  throwing  some 
^  liffht  on  the  origin  of  the  races  that  have  been  inhabitants  of  this 
^  continent.  Quite  probably  our  Mound-Builders  left  no  written 
^  history ;  but  that  fragments  exist  here  and  there  that  exhibit 
^^  rude  attempts  to  record  something,  we  believe  we  will  show  to  the 
T^  reader  of  this  little  book.     Our  object  is    not  to  explain    these 

I  1 60  1 23 


vi.  PREFACE. 

devices,  because  we  cannot ;  but,  if  possible,  to  put  them  in  the 
way  of  some  person  who  may  be  able  to  trace  their  meaning.  At 
the  very  least,  they  will  be  preserved  and  be  available  for  the 
student  in  years  to  come. 

As  to  the  story  of  the  Piasa,  we  have  endeavored  to  exhaust 
the  local  history  of  that  remarkable  pictograph,  not  so  much  for 
scientific  purposes  as  to  try  and  enlist  the  interest  of  the  general 
public.  In  fact  we  have  attempted  to  write  this  book  for  the 
public,  knowing  that  many  are  interested  in  archaeological  mat- 
ters who  have  no  time  for  investigations  and  little  time  to  read. 
To  these  we  trust  our  attempt  at  succinctness  will  be  welcome. 
In  condensing  the  matter  we  not  only  evade  a  long  and  prosy 
story,  but  place  the  price  of  the  book  within  the  reach  of  all. 

The  chapters  upon  the  cruciform  symbols  from  our  ancient 
mounds  will  contain  some  things  new  to  our  archaeologists, 
whom  we  have  left  at  liberty  to  draw  their  own  conclusions 
therefrom. 

On  the  whole,  although  the  subject-matter  has  cost  us  many 
years  of  labor  and  study,  if  we  have  interested  the  reader  and 
filled  ever  so  small  a  space  that  was  empty,  we  are  satisfied. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER     I  . 

The  Probability  that  the  Mound-Builders  did  leave  some  Kecords. — Figures  Carved  and 
Painted  on  the  Rocks.— Pictures  of  Manitous  and  Monsters  as  seen  by  Marquette 
and  the  early  French  Voyagers.— The  Piasa,  or  Man-Eating  Bird. — The  Tradition  of 
the  Piasa  among  the  Illinois  Indians. — The  Death  of  the  Piasa. — The  Bone  Cavern 
where  the  Piasa  devoured  its  victims. — Graphic  Description  of  the  Cave 1 

CHAPTER     II. 

The  Little  Value  of  Indian  Tradition  in  the  Study  of  Ethnology. — European  Mother 
Goose  Stories. — The  Origin  of  our  Mound  Builders  and  Indians  Unlinown. — The 
description,  by  the  Early  Freneli  Voyagers,  of  the  Piasa. — Mention  made  of  it  by 
Douay  and  Joutel,  and  by  St.  Cosnie  in  1699. — Description  by  Jones  in  1838. — A 
Picture  of  the  Piasa  in  1825. — A  Picture  of  it  in  1839,  from  a  German  Work. — Its 
disappearance  in  1846 5 

CHAPTER     III. 

Marquette's  Drawing  of  the  Piasa. — The  confounding,  by  early  writers,  of  the  Piasa 
with  other  Pictographs.— Local  Sketches  Of  the  Piasa. — Pictures  and  Traditions  of 
Dragons  over  the  World. — Traditions  of  Monsters  among  the  Indians. — The  Da- 
cotahs'  "Thunder  Bird." — The  Medicine- Animal  of  the  Winnebagoes.— Curious 
Pictograph  on  the  Bluff  on  the  Illinois  River. — Dragon  Heads  on  Mound  Pottery.— 
The  English  story  of  St.  George  and  the  Dragon. — Dragons  in  Mexico  and  Central 
America 10 

CHAPTER     IV. 

Was  there  ever  a  Creature  like  the  Piasa? — The  Geological  Age  of  Reptiles. — The  Ptero- 
dactyl, a  Flying  Saurian. — The  Oldest  Animal  with  Feathers. — ITie  Pictures  in  the 
Temple  of  Belus  in  Babylon. — Compound  Animals. — The  Dragons  of  the  Bible. — 
A  Dragon's  Skull  from  the  Rocks  of  Dakota. — The  Probable  Origin  of  Mythological 
Dragons 17 

CHAPTER     V. 

Other  Pictographs  on  the  Bluff  above  Alton. — Their  Appearance  and  Description. — A 
Human  Form  depicted  in  Adoration  of  the  Sun. — Were  the  Mound-Builders  worship- 
pers of  the  Sun? — Two  huge  Birds  in  Combat. — Figures  of  the  Sun,  Moon  and  other 
Planets. — The  Age  of  the  Pictographs. — Mounds  on  the  Bluff  above  them. — The 
Contents  of  the  Mounds. — The  beautiful  Breast-Plate  and  Gor£:et  of  Shell 21 


Viii  TABLE    OF   CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER     VI. 

Sculptured  Pictographs  in  a  Cave  in  Ste.  Genevieve  Co.,  Mo. — Description  of  the  Cave. 
Tiie  Appearance  of  tiie  Carvings. — Human  Footprints. — Figtiting  Birds,  Cross- 
Circles  and  Strange  Devices. — Evidence  of  Long  Occupancy  of  the  Vicinity. — 
Mounds. — Stone  Graves. — Salt  Springs. — Remains  of  Salt  Evaporating- Pans. — 
Peculiar  Burial,  with  huge  Salt-Pans  for  a  Coffin 24 

CHAPTER     YII. 

Sculptured  Pictographs  in  a  Cave  in  Greene  County,  Ills. — Description  of  the  Cave. — 
Illustration  of  the  Rock  -whh.  the  Carvings  upon  it. — The  Human  Footprint  with 
Six  Toes. — Account  of  other  Six-Toed  works  in  Tennessee. — Other  Devices. — The 
Stone  Seat. — The  Size  of  the  Mound- Builders. — The  Cave  a  Natural  Amphitheatre. 
Mounds  on  the  Bluff. — Objects  found  in  them.— Accumulation  of  Ashes  in  a  Cave. 
— Caves  places  of  Habitation  and  places  of  Resoit. — Cave  Men. — Wi-re  they 
Cannibals  ? ; 27 

CHAPTER      VIII. 

Human  Footprints  in  the  Rocks  at  Alton. — Footprints  of  Men  and  Anamals  in  Rocks  in 
Tennessee. — Footprints  in  the  Rock  at  St.  Louis. — Description  and  Illustration. — 
The  Early  Settlers  superstitious  in  regard  to  them. — Ancient  Footprints  in  Ohio. — 
Footprints  in  Ireland. — Footprints  of  the  Saviour  at  Jerusalem. — Sacred  Footprints 
on  Mt.  Adam  in  Ceylon. — The  various  Beliefs  in  regard  to  them. — The  Relation  of 
Peculiar  Customs  in  various  parts  of  the  Globe 30 

CHAPTER     IX . 

The  Bone-Cavern  where  the  Piasa  devoured  its  Victims. — Description  of  the  Bone- 
Cavern  at  Grafton. — The  ancient  Bones  taken  from  it. — Singular  fact  that  no  Bones 
of  the  Buffalo  are  found  either  in  Caves  or  in  Mounds. — Did  the  Mound-Builders 
Know  the  Buffalo? — The  Buffalo  probably  a  Comparatively  Recent  Animal  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley. — Illustration  of  the  Bone-Cavern  at  Grafton. — The  singular 
Pictogniph  on  the  Rocks  above  the  Entrance. — Indications  of  Cannibalism  among 
the  Cave  Dwellers. — Cave  Ornaments  of  Stalactite. — Caves  the  first  Natural  Habi- 
tations of  Man. — Indications  in  the  Caves  of  the  Age  of  their  Occupation  — The 
Age  of  the  Rock  in  which  the  Caves  occur. — Relics  made  from  Fossils. — Mound  on 
the  Bluff  over  the  Cave. — Description  of  the  Pictograph  over  the  Entrance  to  the 
Cave. — Visits  of  the  Indians  to  the  Locality. — What  they  said  of  the  Cave 34 

CHAPTE  R    X. 

Another  Pictured  Cavern  below  Grafton. — Aboriginal  Remains  found  about  it. — Singu- 
lar Pipe  of  Stone  from  Mound  on  the  Bluff. — Description  and  Illustration. — The 
singular  Mound  Pipes. — Other  Caves  in  thi  Vicinity. — Pictographs  in  a  Cave  near 
the  Mouth  of  the  Ohio  River. — Description  of  the  Cave. — The  curious  Figures 
Engraved  upon  the  Walls. ^—IlUistration  of  the  Pictographs. — To  be  Regretted  that 
the  Early  Writers  did  not  Illustrate  instead  of  Describing  what  thej'  saw. — No 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS.  IX 

Illustrations  in  early  works  on  Ethnology. — The  Little  Value  of  Opinions.— New 
Collectors  quite  apt  to  have  Many  Theories. — A.nuising  Theory  as  to  why  the  Mustu- 
don  was  Created 41 

CHAPTER    X  I  . 

Pictographs  and  Emblematio  Designs  on  the  Ancient  Pottery  from  the  Mounds. — 
Curious  Customs  in  Burying  the  Dead. — Objects  placed  in  the  Grave. — Implenients 
of  Stone  and  Copper. — How  they  were  Made. — Crowns  and  Head-Ornaments  of 
Copper. — The  Crescent  of  Copper. — Head -Dress  of  Copper  with  Pearl  Ornaments 
in  a  Mound  in  St.  Clair  Co.,  Ills.— The  curious  Frog  Shaped  Idol  Pipe. — The  Frog 
with  a  Sceptre  in  its  Right  Hand.— Sphinx-like  Images  resembling  those  of  Egypt. 
— Description  of  a  Sphinx  from  a  Mound  on  the  Piasa  Creek.^Its  Head- Dress. — 
Emblematic  Images  of  Stone  from  Mounds. — Comparison  of  these  with  like 
objects  in  the  Old  World 46 

CHAPTER     XII. 

The  Mound-Builders*  cnstom  of  placing  Food  in  the  Graves.— The  Vessels  prepared  for 
the  Burial  Service. — Their  Peculiar  Shape. — Their  Capacity  and  Manner  of  Manu- 
facture.— Illustrations. — Peculiar  Composition  of  the  Burial  Vases. — Xo  Glazing  or 
Potter's  Wheel. — Some  of  the  finest  of  the  Cinerary  Urns  in  the  Graves  of  Children. 
— The  DiflFerent  Types  *  of  Burial  Vases. — Those  Peculiarly  Decorated  with 
Representations  of  Heads,  Animals  and  Persons  on  the  Rim. — The  Shapes 
of  the  Human  Countenance. — No  Beard  Depicted. — A  Stone  Pipe  with  a  Board 
Depicted -17 

CHAPTER     XIII. 

Buii:il  Vases  for  holding  Water. — Their  forms  like  those  of  Egypt. — Illustration  of  the 
Long-Necked  form. — Owl-headed  Vases  like  those  from  Troy. — Skill  of  the  Mound- 
Builders  in  making  Pottery. — Lack  of  Ornamented  Pottery  in  European  Mounds. — 
The  superiority  of  American  Relics  and  Mound  Pottery. — The  Polished  Stone  Age 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley. — The  Human  Form  on  Burial  Vases. — Women  Repre- 
sented.— Heads  of  Human  Figures  showing  Head  Dress. — Ear-rings  and  Head  Orna- 
ments.— No  Iron  but  Meteoric. — Meteoric  Iron  held  sacred  by  the  Mound-Builders, 
like  the  Greeks. — Stone  Crystals  often  mistaken  for  Glass. — Shape  and  Peculiarity  of 
the  Hands  seen  on  the  Pottery. — The  Manner  of  ornamenting  the  Burial  Vases. — 
A  Burial  Vase  from  Oakokia  containing  the  Colors  and  Tools  for  Ornamenting... 53 

CHAPTER    XI  y, 

Pictographs  and  Hieroglyphic  Inscriptions  on  the  Pottery.— A  Burial  Vase  from  Monnd 
on  the  IHinois  River. — The  Shell  Spoon. — Remains  of  the  Food  in  the  Ve.';sel>. — 
Whole  Ears  of  Charred  Corn. — The  Gre.it  Number  of  these  Vases  and  their  Curi- 
ous Evidence. — The  Mound -Builders' Religion  and  Belief  in  After  Life. — Similar 
Customs  in  Europe. — The  Figure  of  the  Cross  on  the  Vessels. — The  Cross  of  the 
EoT^ptians. — The  Cross  of  the  Chinese. — Its  Recurrence  common  in  America 58 


X  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER     XV. 

Mound  Vessels  with  Painted  Symbols. — Otiier  Peculiar  Figures  of  the  Cross. — Symbolic 
Figures  of  the  Sun. — Similar  Figures  on  Vases  from  Egypt  and  from  Ancient  Troy. 
Illustration  of  a  Vase  from  a  Missouri  Mound  and  a  Vase  from  Thebes,  Egypt. — The 
Customs  of  the  Mound-Builders  influenced  by  Previous  History. — The  Points  of  Par- 
allelism not  Accidental. — The  peculiar  Cross  with  the  Bent  Arms.— Schliemann  on 
the  Emblematic  Crosses  found  in  Ancient  Troy. — The  Ancient  Character  of  this 
Cross. — Its  Origin. — An  Instrument  used  for  making  Fire. — Origin  of  the  word 
Cross. — How  the  Ancients  first  generated  Fire. — The  Manner  in  which  the  Cross 
became  a  Sacred  Emblem " 62 

CHAPTER    XVl. 

Another  Mound  Vase  with  singular  Symbolic  Figures. — Illustrations  of  the  Devices. — 
The  singular  sign  of  T  or  "  tau,  "  used  by  the  Egyptians, — Resemblance  to 
Chinese  Characters. — Placing  of  Amulets  on  the  Breasts  of  Mummies  by  the 
Egyptians. — The  Sacred  Beetle. — The  Symbol  on  the  Beetle's  Back. — Similar 
Custom  among  the  Mound-Builders. — The  curious  Gorgets  of  Shell. — The  Cross  on 
the  Spider's  Back.— The  ancient  symbol  of  "  Good  Luck.  " — No  Phallic  Worship 
in  America. — The  Origin  of  the  T  or  "  tau," — The  Enemies  of  the  Egyptians  wore  a 
Gorget  with  Cross  like  the  Mound-Builders. — Curious  and  Suggestive  Comparisons. 
— The  Maltese  Cross  on  Mound  Pottery. — Copper  Crosses 69 

CHAPTER     XVII. 

Sculptured  Crosses  from  Mexico. — Symbolic  Significance  of  the  Cross. — The  Jaina 
Cross. — The  Resemblance  of  some  Mound  Symbols  to  Masonic  Devices. — Ancient 
Earthworks  in  the  form  of  Masonic  Symbols. — The  Circle,  Square  and  Triangle 
common  forms  with  the  Mound-Builders. — Masonry  had  its  origin  in  Sun  Worship. 
— Belzoni's  Tomb  in  Egypt. — Masonry  an  Ancient  Religion. — The  Indians  thought 
to  be  Masons. — The  Hidden  History  of  Mankind 75 

CHAPTER     XVIII. 

The  Mississippi  Valley  once  the  Home  of  a  Vast  Population. — Their  Tov*ns,  Agri- 
culture, Government,  Esthetic  Tastes. — The  Ancient  Sites  of  Towns  occupied  now. 
The  Mound-Builders'  Habits  and  Customs  the  result  of  a  Former  Influence. — St. 
Louis  the  Site  of  an  Ancient  Town. — Illustration  of  a  Group  of  Mounds  in  the 
City. — The  Truncated  Pyramids. — The  singular  Triangular  Earthwork. — Emble- 
matic and  Symbolic  Mounds  of  Wisconsin. — The  Sacred  Circles. — The  Sanctuary  of 
the  Sun-Worshiper. — Human  Sacrifice  by  the  Mexicans  and  Greeks. — The  Sacred 
Pentagon  a  Place  of  Sacrifice. — A  Sun  Circle  in  Calhoun  Co.,  Ills. — Earthworks  in 
Ohio 77 

CHAPTE  R     X IX. 

Were  the  Earthworks  for  Defensive  Purposes  ? — The  Tradition  that  an  Eclipse  of  the 
Sun  caused  a  Change  in  the  Ceremonies  of  the  Mound-Builders. — Historic  Mounds. 


TABLE    OF   CONTENTS.  XI. 

— Illustration  of  a  group  of  Hieroglj'phic  or  Record  Mounds. — Their  description, — 
Contemporaries  of  the  Mound-Builders. — The  great  number  of  Emblematic 
Mounds  in  Wisconsin. — The  Advance  made  by  Some  of  tlie  Mound-Builders  toward 
Civilization. — The  Emblematic  Mounds  of  Wisconsin  tlie  Last  of  the  Race. — Did 
the  Effigj'-Makers  know  tlie  Buffalo? — Effigy  Mound,  representing  a  Man. — 
Combination  Mound. — An  Amalgamation  Group  of  Mounds,  reciting  History. — 
Pidgeon,  the  author  of  "The  Traditions  of  Dacoodah,  "  who  lie  was  and  where 
he  lived  and  died 81 

CHAPTER     XX. 

The  Emblematic  Mounds  of  Wisconsin  not  so  Old. — Small  mounds  numerous  in  the 
North-West. — The  most  modern  mounds  in  Dakota. — Mounds  connected  bj/  Curious 
Paths  made  of  Buffalo  Bones. — Exploration  of  some  of  these  in  the  Dakota  Valley. 
— The  Age  of  the  Mounds. — The  Age  of  the  Bone-Paths. — Relics  from  these 
Mounds.— The  Shape  of  the  Skulls.— The  many  Different-Shaped  Skulls.— Long 
Skulls. — Small  Size  of  the  Skulls. — A  singular  Human  Skull  from  a  Cahokia  Mound. 
—Compressed  Skulls. — The  Neanderthal  Skull  as  compared  with  some  of  our 
Mound-Builders". — A  singular  Skull  from  a  Mound  in  Missouri. — Skulls  from  the 
Pottery  Mounds.— Broad.  Thick  Skulls. — Unequal  Size  of  the  Lobes. — Egyptian 
Skulls.— Curious  Stoiy  by  Herodotus.— Illustration  of  the  Dakota  Skulls.— The  Red 
Iinlian".<  Skull. — The  Character  of  the  Indian 92 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Similarity  of  the  Mounds  of  America  and  other  Countries.— Superiority  of  the  Mound- 
Builders  over  the  Indians. — The  Heroes  of  Troy. — America's  Dead  Nation  v.ithout 
allistoiy. — The  Extensive  Acquaintance  of  the  Mound-Builders. — Mounds  common 
over  the  World. — An  Egyptian  Land.-cape  Compared  with  an  American  one. — Pyra- 
mids in  the  United  States. — Mounds  on  the  Cahokia  Bottom. — The  great  Pyramid 
of  Cahokia. — Its  Description. — The  American  Bottom  and  its  Ancient  Ruins. — A 
Description  of  the  Mounds  in  1811.— The  Group  of  Mounds  surrounding  the  Pyra- 
mid.— The  origin  and  use  of  the  great  Cahokia  Mounds. — The  Temple  of  the  Sun 
in  Mexico  and  the  Mounds  surrounding  it. — The  Sacrifices  by  the  Mexicans. — The 
Artificial  Ponds  about  Cahokia. — The  size  of  Cahokia  compared  with  the  Pyramids 
of  Egypt.— Puzzling  Points  of  Analogy.— The  Sacred  Shells  from  Cahokia.— The 
Reversed  Shells  of  Buddha  found  in  our  Mounds. — Our  Pyramids  straight  with  the 
Points  of  the  Compass. — Did  the  Indians  know  the  Direction  from  Stars? 99 

CH  APTER    XXII. 

The  Origin,  Migration  and  Fate  of  the  Mound-Builders. — Was  there  an  Indigerous 
People  ? — The  Origin  of  the  Red  Indians. — Their  Contact  with  the  Mound-Builders- 
— The  Origin  of  the  Symbols,  Emblems,  etc. — What  Became  of  the  Mound- 
Builders? — Did  some  Epidemic  or  Plague  attack  them? — Were  some  Driven  into 
Mexico  ?— Did  the  Indians  have  a  Religion. — The  Pueblos  and  Aztecs  have  not 
Forgotten  their  R-iligion  though  Controlled  by  Priests  for  Two  Hundred  Years.— 
The  Aztecs  and  Pueblos  ready  to  Go  Back  to  Sun-Worship.— Humboldt's  opinion 
of  the  origin  of  the  Aztecs  and  Mound-Builders.— The  Aztecs'  Tradition  of  their 


TABLE    OF   CONTENTS.  ,  Xll. 

Migrations. — Were  they  once  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  ? — The  Aztecs'  Dates  and 
Calendar. — More  than  one  Influx  of  Immigrants  to  America. — The  Geological 
History  of  the  Continent  would  indicate  Indigenous  Races. — The  Traditions  of 
various  Nations  as  to  Their  Origin.— The  Origin  of  the  Egyptians  Enveloped  in 
Obscurity. — Most  People  Point  to  the  North  for  their  Origin. — The  Region  of  th<> 
North  Pole  Still  Unknown  to  Us. — Summing  up  of  the  Evidence. — Migrations  not 
all  by  Land. — The  Uselessness  of  Attempting  to  Trace  National  Affinities  by 
Language. — The  Origin  of  most  of  the  prominent  Old  Languages  Unknown. — 
Wonderful  Clianges  in  European  Languages. — Language  in  other  Countries. — 
Each  Indian  Tribe  with  a  Different  Language. — The  Pictographs,  Symbols  and 
Emblematic  Devices  the  Only  Clew  we  Have 110 


CHAPTER   I. 

Thk  Probability  that  the  Mound-Buildeks  did  i.eave  some  Records — Figirks 
Carved  axd  Painted  on  the  Kocks. — Pictures  of  Manitou  s  and  Monsters 
AS  seen  by  Marquette  and  the  Early  French  Voyagers. — The  Piasa,  or 
Man-Eating  Bird.— The  Tradition  of  the  Piasa  among  the  Illinois 
Indians. — The  Death  of  the  Piasa. — The  Bone  Cavern  where  the  Piasa 
devours  its  victims. — Graphic  description  of  the  Cave. 

^T  IS  quite  probable  that  the  ancient  Mound-Builders  and  early 
^  inhabitants  of  this  country  did  make  attempts  to  record  some  of 
the  more  important  events  of  their  history.  Figures,  either  carved 
or  j)ainted  on  the  rocks,  in  some  cave  shelter,  or  beneath  some  over- 
hanging cliff,  are  not  uncommon  along  the  banks  of  the  rivers  of 
the  Mississi23pi  Valley;  but  more  especially  do  they  abound  along 
the  great  river  where  its  banks  form  the  boundary  between  the 
States  of  Illinois  and  Missouri. 

Some  of  these  ])ictograplis  were  seen  and  noted  by  the  first  white 
explorers,  the  Jesuits ;  so  that  we  know  that  they  out-date  tlie 
advent  of  the  European,  and  were  doubtless  made  long  before  the 
discover}'  of  tliis  continent  by  Columbus,  and  may  quite  possibly 
be  ri'fcrred  to  tha^  mysterious  race  known  as  the  Mound-Builders. 
At  any  rate  we  attempt  to  place  before  archasologists  these  picture- 
writings,  symbolic  devices,  and  emblems,  with  as  much  of  fact  as 
we  ai'o  able  to  gather,  mixed  Avith  little  theory;  hoping  they  may 
'be  useful  in  tracing  the,  so  far,  utterly  unknown  origin  of  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  America. 

The  best  known  of  these  old  pictographs  is  that  of  the  Piasa,  a 
remarkable  painting  that  once  adorned,  or  rather  was  exhibited  on, 
tlie  smooth  rocky  face  of  the  bluff  where  is  now  the  city  of  Alton. 
This  curious  old  pictograph  was  first  brought  to  the  general  notice  of 
the  public  by  John  Russel,  a  whilom  professor  of  Greek  and  Latin 
in  Shurtleff  College,  iu  Upper  Alton.  He  wrote  for  an  eastern  mag- 
azine the  "  Tradition  of  the  Piasa,"  which  he  claimed  was  obtained 
from  the  Illinois  Indians.     We  give  his  article  in  full  as  written  : 

"  No  part  of  the  United  States,  not  even  the  highlands  of  the  Hud- 
son, can  vie,  in  wild  and  romantic  scenerj-,  with  the  bluffs  of  Illinois 
on  the  Mississippi,  between  the  mouths  of  the  Missouri  and  Illinois 
rivers.     On  one  side  of  the  river,  often  at  the  water's  edge,  a  perpen- 


2  KECORDS   OF   ANCIEJNT  KA0E9 

dicnlar  wall  of  rock  rises  to  the  height  of  some  hundred  feet.  Gen- 
erally on  the  opposite  shore  is  a  level  bottom  or  prairie  of  several 
miles  in  extent,  extending  to  a  similar  bluff  that  runs  parallel  with 
the  river.  One  of  these  ranges  commences  at  Alton  and  extends  for 
many  miles  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  In  descending 
the  river  to  Alton,  the  traveler  will  observe,  between  that  town  and 
the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  a  narrow  ravine  through  which  a  small 
stream  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Mississippi.  Tjiis  stream  is 
the  Piasa.  ^  Its  name  is  Indian,  and  signifies,  in  the  Illini,  '  The 
bird  which  devours  men.''  Near  the  mouth  of  this  stream,  on  the 
smooth  and  perpendicular  face  of  the  bluff,  at  an  elevation  which 
no  human  art  can  reach,  is  cut  the  figure  of  an  enormous  bird,  with 
its  wings  extended.  The  animal  which  the  figure  represents  was 
called  by  the  Indians  the  Piasa.  From  this  is  derived  the  name  of 
the  stream. 

"  The  tradition  of  the  Piasa  is  still  current  among  the   tribes  of 
the  Ux)per  Mississippi,  and  those  who  have  inhabited  the  valley  of  , 
the  Illinois,  and  is  briefly  this  : 

"Many  thousand  moons  before  the  arrival  of  the  pale  faces,  v/hen 
the  great  Magalonyx  and  Mastodon,  whose  bones  are  now  dug  up^ 
were  still  living -in  the  land  of  green  prairies,  there  existed  a  bird 
of  such  dimensions  that  he  could  easily  carry  off  in  his  talons  a 
full-grown  deer.  Having  obtained  a  taste  for  human  fiesli,  from 
that  time  he  would  prey  on  nothing  else.  He  was  artful  as  he  was 
powerful,  and  w^ould  dart  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  upon  an  In- 
dian, bear  him  off  into  one  of  the  caves  of  the  bluff,  and  devour  him. 
Hundreds  of  warriors  attemj-)ted  for  years  to  destroy  him,  but  Avith- 
out  success.  Whole  villages  were  nearly  depopulated,  and  con- 
sternation spread  through  all  the  tribes  of  the  Illini. 

"Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  Ouatogo^  the  great  chief  of 
the  Illini,  whose  fame  extended  bej^ond  the  great  lakes,  Peparating 
himself  from  the  rest  of  his  tribe,  fasted  in  solitude  for  the  space  of 
a  whole  moon,  and  prayed  to  the  Great  Spirit,  the  Master  of  Lifer 
that  he  would  protect  his  children  from  the  Piasa. 

"  On  the  last  night  of  the  fast  the  Great  Spirit  appeared  to  Ouato- 
go  in  a  dream,  and  directed  him  to  select  twenty  of  his  bravest 
warriors,  each  armed  with  a  bow  and  poisoned  arrows,  and  conceal 
them  in  a  designated  spot.      Near  the  place  of  concealment  another 

1  Pronounced  Pi-a-saw.  2  Pronounced  Wa-to-go. 


IX   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  6 

Avanior  was  to  stand  in  open  view,  as  a  victim  for  the  Piasa,  wliich. 
tliey  must  shoot  the  instant  he  pounced  upon  his  prey. 

"  When  tlie  chief  awoke  in  the  morning,  he  thanked  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  returning  to  his  tribe  told  them  his  vision.  The  warriors 
were  quicldy  selected  and  placed  in  ambush  as  directed.  Ouatogo 
offered  himself  as  the  victim.  He  Avas  willing  to  die  for  his  people. 
Placing  himself  in  open  view  on  the  bluffs,  he  soon  3iiw  the  Piasa 
p)erched  on  the  cliff  eying  liis  prey.  The  chief  drew  up  his  manly 
form  to  his  utmost  height,  and,  planting  his  feet  firmly  upon  the 
earth,  he  began  to  chant  the  death-song  of  an  Indian  warrior.  The 
moment  after,  the  Piasa  arose  into  the  air,  and  swift  as  the  thunder- 
b)olt  darted  down  on  his  victim.  Scarcely  had  the  horrid  creature 
leached  his  prey  before  every  bow  was  sprung  and  every  arrow 
was  sent  quivering  to  the  feather  into  his  body.  The  Piasa  uttered 
a  fearful  scream,  that  sounded  far  over  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  and  expired.  Ouatago  was  unharmed.  Not  an  arrow,  not 
even  the  talons  of  the  bird,  had  touched  him.  The  Master  of  Life, 
in  admiration  of  Ouatogo's  deed,  had  held  over  him  an  invisible 
shield. 

'•There  was  the  wildest  rejoicing  among  the  Illini,  and  the  brave 
chief  was  carried  in  triumph  to  the  council  house,  where  it  was 
solemnly  agreed  that,  in  memory  of  the  great  event  in  their  nation's 
history,  the  image  of  the  Piasa  should  be  engraved  on  the  bluff. 

"  Sach  is  the  Indian  tradition.  Of  course  I  cannot  vouch  for  its 
truth.  This  much,  however,  is  certain,  that  the  figure  of  a  huge 
bird,  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  is  still  there,  and  at  a  height  that  is  per- 
fectly inaccessible.  How  and  for  what  purpose  it  v/as  made  I  leave 
it  for  others  to  determine.  Even  at  this  day  an  Indian  never 
passes  the  spot  in  his  canoe  Avithout  firing  his  gun  at  the  figure  of 
the  Piasa.  The  marks  of  the  balls  on  t!ie  rock  are  almost  innu- 
merable. 

''  Near  the  close  of  March  of  the  present  year  (183G)  I  was  induced 
to  visit  the  bluffs  below  the  mouth  of  Illinois  river,  above  th:it  of 
the  Piasa.  My  curiosity  was  principally  directed  to  the  examina- 
tion of  a  cave,  connected  with  the  above  tradition  as  one  of  those 
to  wliich  the  bird  had  carri-d  his  human  victims. 

"  Preceded  by  an  intelligent  guide,  who  carried  a  spade,  I  set  out  on 
my  excursion.  The  cave  was  extremely  difficult  of  access,  and  at 
one  point  in  our  progress  I  stood  at  an  elevation  of  one  hundred 
iind  fifty  feet  on  the  perpendicular  face  of  the  bluff,  with  barely 


4  RECORDS   OF   Al^CIENT   RACES 

room  to  sustain  one  foot.     Tlie  unbroken  wall  towered  above  me,, 
while  below  was  the  river. 

''After  a  long  and  perilous  climb  we  reached  the  cave,  which  was 
about  fifty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  river.     By    the   aid  of  a 
long  pole  placed  on  a  projecting  rock,  and  the  upper  end  touching 
the  mouth  of  the  cave,  we  succeed  in  entering  it.     Nothing  could  be 
more  impressive  than  the   view  from   the   entrance  to   the  cavern. 
The  Mississippi  was  rolling  in  silent  grandeur  beneath  us.     High 
over  our  heads  a  single  cedar  tree  hung  its  branches  over  the  cliflT, 
and  on  one  of  the  dead   dry  limbs  was  seated  a  bald  eagle.     No 
other   sign  of   life  was  near  us,  a  Sabbath  stillness  rested  on  the 
scene.     Not  a  cloud  was  visible  on  the  heavens  ;  not  a  breath  of  air 
was    stirring.     The    broad   Mississippi  was    before    us,  calm    and 
smooth  as  a  lake.     The  landscape  presented  the  same  wild  aspect  it 
did  before  it  had  met  th9  eye  of  the  white  man.      The  roof  of  the 
cavern  was  vaulted,  and  the  top  was  hardly  less  than  twenty  feet- 
high.     The  shape  of  the  cavern  was  irregular ;  but  so  far  as  I  could 
judge  the  bottom  would  average  twenty  by  thirty  feet.    The  floor  of 
the  cavern  throughout  its  whole  extent  was    one   mass  of  human 
bones.  Skulls  and  other  bones  were  mingled  in  the  utmost  confusion. 
To  what  depth  they  extended!  was  unable  to  decide ;  but  we  dug  to 
the  depth  of  3  or  4  feet  in  every  part  of  the  cavern,  and  still  we 
found   only    bones.     The   remains   of  thousands   must  have   beeu 
deposited  here.     How  and  by  whom,  and    for  what  purpose,  it  is. 
impossible  to  conjecture.  " 


CHAPTER    II. 

The  Little  Value  of  Indian  Tradition  in  the  Study  of  Ethnology. — 
European  Mother  Goose  STOKiES. — The  Origin  of  our  Mound  Builders 
and  Indians  Unknown.— The  Description,  by  the  Early  French  Voyag- 
ers, of  the  Piasa. — Mention  made  of  it  by  Douay  and  Joutel,  and  by  i?T. 
CosME  IN  1699. — Description  by  Jones  in  1S3S.— A  Picture  of  the  Pia^a  in 
1S25. — A  Picture  op  it  in  1839,  from  a  German  Work.— Its  Disafpearnce 
in  1S4G. 

«^^1^-E  have  given  the  popular  tradition  of  the  Piasa,  and  a  descrip- 
^ll^jil.^  tion  of  the  bone  cavern  that  was  supposed  to  contain  the 
bones  of  the  monster's  victims.  The  strange  story  in  some  form  or 
other  has  liad  a  most  extensive  circulation.  A  few  years  after  the 
publication  of  the  tradition  of  the  Piasa,  we  wrote  a  letter  to  Russel 
at  Bluffdale.  He  answered  that  there  was  a  somewhat  similar  tra- 
dition among  the  Indians,  but  he  admitted,  to  use  his  own  words,  that 
the  story  was  '''somewhat  illustrated.''  As  a  mere  tradition,  the  story 
of  the  Piasa  has  little,  if  any,  ethnological  significance.  Cinderella's 
slipper  and  Mother  Goose's  stories  tell  no  more  of  the  unwritten  his- 
tory of  Europeans,  than  the  myths  of  the  Onondagas  or  Tuscaroras 
do  of  the  origin  of  the  red  man.  But  it  is  interesting  to  know  tliat 
what  we  now  call  the  Piasa  was  in  fact  not  only  an  old  pictograph, 
bat  one  of  a  series  of  ancient  pictographs  or  hieroglyphic  records, 
that  were  seen,  and  some  of  them  described,  by  the  first  white  men 
'that  saw  our  great  rivers  and  looked  for  the  first  time  upon  the 
beautiful  scenery  along  tlieir  shores.  That  these  old  records  may 
be  preserved,  and  perhaps  be  at  some  future  time  translated,  is  the 
object  of  this  volume,  in  accomplishing  which  we  shall  find 
recompense  in  part  for  many  weary  but  not  unpleasant  days  among 
the  mounds,  caves,  and  relics  of  the  Mound  Builders  and  abori- 
gines. 

The  first  notice  we  have  of  the  pictograph  now  known  as  the  Piasa 
is  from  that  courageous  and  devoted  Jesuit  priest,  Marquette,  made 
popular  by  the"  historian  Parkman,  in  his  "Discoveries  of  the  Great 
West."'  Joliet  and  Marquette,  in  the  French  missionary  stations  on 
the  upper  lakes,  had  heard  frequently  from  the  Indians,  of  the  Great 
River  or  '"Father  of  Waters,"  which,  although  discovered  by  De  Soto 
nearly  200  years  before,  was  still  unknown  to  white  men  jis  far  north 
as   the  Missouri  and  Illinois.     In  1673  these  two  intrepid  vovap-ers 


6  RECORDS  OF  AXCIENT  RACES 

wiMi  a  small  party,  started  ont  from  Green  Bay  to  liiid  the  "Great 
Water."  The  Indians  of  the  lakes  endeavored  to  deter  them  from 
going.  The  country,  they  said,  was  filled  with  savages  and  frightful 
creatures,  and  in  the  Great  River  in  a  certain  part  there  was  a  great 
monster,  whose  roar  could  be  heard  at  a  great  distance,  and  these 
terrible  creatures  swallowed  every  person  who  came  near  them. 
Traveling  on  their  way,  and  crossing  overland  to  the  Wisconsin, 
Marquette  and  his  companions  descended  that  stream  to  its  mouth, 
and  entered  the  Mississippi.  Descending  it,  stopj^ing  a  while  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois,  and  ascending  the  bluff  just  abov^e  where  is 
now  the  town  of  Grafton,  they  had  their  first  view  of  the  Missouri. 
Wh(>re  these  rivers  went  they  did  not  know,  nor  what  manner  of 
life  they  contained,  nor  what  inhabitants  there  were  on  the  banks. 
One  can  easily  imagine  that  their  eyes  and  ears  were  -wide  open ;  nor 
were  the  frightful  stories  of  monsters  forgotten,  wiien  these  intre]pid 
men  again  pushed  olf  their  frail  caiioes,  keeping  close  to  shore,  into 
that  mighty,  rushing,  unknown  river.  Parkman-  tells  it  from 
Marquette's  diary.  ^ 

Again  they  were  on  their  way,  drifting  down  the  great  river. 
Leaving  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  behind,  they  glided  beneath 
that  line  of  blutfs  on  the  northern  side,  cut  into  fantastic  forms  by 
the  elements.  The  great  bastions  and  enormous  pillars  gave  them 
the  idea  that  they  were  approaching  some  giant  ruins,  and  for  a 
long  time  after,  the  bluffs  about  where  is  now  Elsali  were  marked 
on  the  old  French  maps  as  ''Ruined  Castles."  Gazing  with  open 
eyes  as  they  sped  along,  Marc^uette's  attention  is  attracted  to  a* 
number  of  singular  pictures  that  are  outlined  on  the  bluffs — 
heathen  manitous  to  this  valiant  priest. 

Presently  they  beheld  a  siglit  which  reminded  them  that  the  Devil 
was  still  paramount  in  the  wilderness.  On,  the  Hat  face  of  a  high 
rock  were  painted,  in  red,  black  and  green,  a  pair  of  monsters,  each 
as  large  as  a  calf,  with  horns  like  a  roebuck,  red  eyes,  a  beard  like 
a  tiger,  and  a  friglitful  expression  of  countenance.  The  face  was 
something  like  that  of  a  man,  the  body  covered  with  scales,  and  the 
tail  so  long  that  it  passed  entirely  around  the  body-,  over  the  head 
and  between  the  legs,  ending  like  a  fish. 

He  confesses  that  at  first  they  were  frightened;  and  his  imagina- 
tion, and  that  of  his  credulous,  companions,  was  so  wrought  upon  by 

I  '■  Discoveries  of  tlie  Grent  WePt,""  vol.  8,  p.  52. 


ly   Till']    MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY. 


'(^ 


THE  PIASA, 


tliesi'  uuliallowed  efforts  of  Indian  art  that  tliej  continued  for  a  long 
time  to  t;-/.kof  t'leni  as  they  plied  their  paddles. 

A  iiiiiubcr  oi  explorers  who  followed  a  few  j^ears  later  speak  of 
the  pictures  described  by.  Marquette,  as  well  as  of  others  seen  on 
the  l)luff.  Douay  and  Joutel  make  mention  of  them.  The  former, 
bitterly  hostile   to   his  ,^_^ 

Jesuit   contemporaries,  '^^^^^5^,,  //  A 

charges  Marquette  with     ^-->./^         -    -    ,^  .  .        ., 

exaorereration    in     his       \7 
account  of  them.     Jou-  "'" 

tel  could  see  nothing 
terrifying  in  their  ap- 
pearance, but  says  his 
Indians  made  sacrifices 
to  them  as  he  passed. 
St.  Cosme,  who  saw  the 
pictures  in  1699,  says 
that  they  were  even  then  badly  effaced,  not  so  much,  apparently, 
from  the  elements  as  from  the  almost  general  custom  among  the 
Indians  of  discharging  their  weapons  at  tlie  pictures  as  they  passed. 

We  have  a  little  book  with  the  tit\e,' 'lUinois  and  the  West,''\>j 
A.  D.  Jones,  Boston,  1838.  The  book  contains  the  tradition  of  the 
Piasa  (he  spells  it  Piasau)  in  a  somewhat  different  form  from  that 
of  Russel,  but  the  same  in  substance.  He  says,  ''After  the  distribu- 
tion of  lire-arms  among  the  Indians,  ballets  were  substituted  for 
arrows,  and  even  to  tliis  day  no  savage  presumes  10  pass  the  spot 
without  discharging  his  riile  and  raising  his  shout  of  triumph.  I 
visited  the  spot  in  June  (1838)  and  examined  the  image,  and  the  ten 
thousand  bullet  marks  on  the  cliff  seemed  to  corroborate  the  tradi- 
tion related  to  me  in  the  neighborhood. 

"So  lately  as  the  passage  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  delegations  down 
the  river  on  their  way  to  Washington,  there  was  a  general  discharge 
of  their  rifles  at  the  Piasau  Bird.  On  arriving  at  Alton  the}'-  went 
ashore  in  a  body  and  proceeded  to  the  bluffs,  where  they  held  a 
solemn  war  council,  concluding  the  whole  with  a  splendid  war 
dance,  under  the  cliff  on  which  was  the  image,  manifesting  all  the 
while  the  most  exuberant  joy."  ^ 

Another  author  says  that  the  picture  of  the  Piasa  Avas  visible  on 


1  Jones'  '•  Illinois  and  the  "West,"  Chap.  5. 


8  RECORDS  OF  ANCIENT  RACES 

the  rocks  during  1844  and  '45.  A  few  j^ears  after  this,  the  face  of 
the  bluif  was  gradually  quarried  away  for  the  purpose  of  making 
lime,  and  about  the  time  our  civil  war  commenced  all  traces  of  the 
ancient  picture  had  disappeared. 

We  have  in  our  possession  a  spirited  pen-and-ink  sketch,  12  by  15 
inches  in  size,  and  purporting  to  represent  the  ancient  painting  des- 
cribed by  Marquette.  On  the  picture  is  inscribed  the  following  in 
ink.  "Made  by  Wm.  Dennis,  April  3d,  1825."  The  date  is  in  both 
letters  and  figures.  On  the  top  of  the  picture,  in  large  letters,  are 
the  two  words,  "Flying  Dragon."  This  picture,  which  has  been 
kept  in  the  old  Gilham  family,  of  Madison  County,  bears  the  evi- 
dence of  its  age,  and  Avas  sketched  some  years  before  Russel's  story 
of  the  Piasa  was  written.  "Dragon"  or  "Flying  Dragon"  was  the 
common  name  for  it  before  Russel's  story  of  the  Piasa  caine  out. 

The  name  Piasa  or  Piasau  was  certainly  in  use  among  the  Indians. 
1  Col.  Paterson,  in  his  History  of  Black  Hawk,  says  that  Black. 
Hawk's  father  was  named  Piasau,  but  does  not  give  the  meaning 
of  the  word.  It  is  said  that  Piasau  was  killed  in  a  battle  with  the 
Osages  on  the  Meremac  river,  in  Missouri.  Black  Hawk,  then  a 
young  man,  fought  by  his  father's  side,  and  it  is  said  carried  the 
dead  body  of  his  parent  on  horseback  from  the  battle  ground  to 
their  home  on  the  Rock  River  in  Illinois.  Black  Hawk  was  a  very 
intellisrent  Indian,  and  we  have  conversed  with  a  number  of  white 
people  who  knew  him — one  especially,  a  surgeon  in  the  Black  Hawk 
war.  He  on  more  than  one  occasion  approached  the  chief  on  the 
subject  of  the  mounds  and  the  picture  of  the  Piasa,  but  Black 
Hawk  seemed  to  have  no  information  on  the  subject. 

It  is  a  little  singular  that  Marquette,  in  his  description  of  the 
picture,  should  always  speak  of  two,  as  though  there  were  two  of 
the  figures,  when  many  later  authorities  should  mention  only  one. 
It  is  singular,  too,  that  all  modern  writers  on  the  subject,  as  well  as 
those  living  who  remember  to  have  seen  the  picture  (for  there  are  a 
number  of  old  citizens  who  claim  to  have  been  familiar  with 
tlie  figure,)  should  always  refer  to  the  creature's  wings.  Marquette, 
although  he  describes  it  in  detail,  makes  no  mention  of  wings. 

One  of  the  most  satisfactory  pictures  of  the  Piasa  we  have  ever 
seen  is  in  an  old  German  publication,  entitled  "The  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi  Illustrated.      Eighty  illustrations    from    nature,  by  H. 

1  Patterson's  "Black  Hawk.' 


IN"  THE  MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY. 


9 


Lewis,  from  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico."  Pub- 
lished about  the  year  1839,  by  Arenz  &  Co.,  Dusseldorf,  Germany. 
One  of  the  large  full-page  plates  in  this  work  gives  a  fine  view  of 
the  bluff  at  Alton,  with  the  figure  of  the  Piasa  on  the  face  of  the 
rock.  It  is  represented  to  have  been  taken  on  the  S];)ot  by  artists 
from  Germany.  We  reproduce  that  part  of  the  bluff  (the  whole 
picture  being  to  large  for  this  work)  which  shows  the  pictographs. 
This  picture  was 


/;>^^?«"?" 


^^'^^ 


taken  some  three 
or  four  years  after 
Russel  wrote  his 
story  of  the  Tradi- 
tion of  the  Piasa. 
The  account  in  the 
German  work  tells 
of  the  tradition,  and 
says  the  pictograph 
was  growing  dim 
and  showed  evi- 
dence of  great  age. 
We  are  inclined 
to  believe  these 
German  artists 
faithfully  made  a 
sketch  of  what  they 
saw  dimly  outlined,  being  what  remained  in  1839  of  Alarquette's 
famous  monsters.  In  the  German  picture  there  is  shown,  just 
behind  the  rather  dim  outlines  of  the  second  face,  a  ragged  crevice. 
as  though  of  a  fracture.  Part  of  the  bluff's  face  might  have  fallen, 
and  thus  nearly  destroyed  one  of  the  monsters;  for  in  later  years 
writers  speak  of  but  one  figure.  The  whole  face  of  the  bluff  was 
(puirried  away  in  1846  and  '47. 


CHAPTER     III.       • 

Marquette's  Drawing  of  the  Piasa. — The  Confounding,  by  early  writers,  of 

THE     PfASA     with     OTHER    PiCTOGRAPHS. — LOCAL     SKETCHES  OF   THE  PlASA. — 

Pictures  and  Traditions  of  Dragons  over  the  World — Traditions  of 
Monsters  among  the  Indians. — The  Dacotahs'  "Thundeii  Btud/' — The 
Medicine  Animal  of  the  Winner agoes. — Curious  Pictograph  on  the  Bluff 
ON  the  Illinois  River.— Dragon  Heads  on  Mound  Potteky.— The  Englisti 
sroKY  of  St.  George  and  the  Dragon. — Dragons  in  Mexico  and  Central 
America. 

^^ARKMAN  says  Marquette  made  a  drawing  of  the  monsters, 
'AuL'^^  Ibiit  it  was  lost.  "I  have,  however,"  continues  he,  "a  facsimile 
of  a  map  made  a  few  years  hater  by  the  order  of  the  Intendant 
Duchesneau,  which  is  decorated  with  the  portrait  of  one  of  tliem, 
answering  to  Marquette's  description  and  probably  copied  from  his 
drav.'ing." 

AVe  liave  received,  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Parkman,  a  copy 
of  the  portrait  of  wliich  he  speaks ;  but  we  cannot  agree  with  tlie 
historian  in  believing  that  it  answers  to  Marquette's  description,  or 
refers  to  the  well-known  ligure  that  once  adorned  the  bluff  at 
Alton. 

It  is  a  fact,  though  ]iot  generally  known,  that  there  were  several  of 
these  old  ^dictographs  in  tlie  vicinity  of  Alton  ;  and  this  may  account 
for  some  of  the  early  differences  in  descri])ti()n.  Three  or  four 
miles  above  Alton,  below  the  moutli  of  the  stream  called  Piasa 
Creek,  is  a  series  of  these  old  pictographs,  the  most  prominent  of 
which  are  the  outlines  of  two  huge  birds  without  wings.  That 
these  were  noted  by  the  early  voyagers  there  is  no  doubt.  We 
present  a  sketch  of  them  on  another  page. 

Several  years  ago  we  succeeded  in  getting  together  a  number  of 
the  old  citizens  of  Alton,  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  tlieni  discuss 
the  location  and  appearance  of  the  Piasa.  Among  those  present  were 
the  Hon.  Samuel  Blackmaster  and  Henry  G.  McPike,  the  present 
inayor  of  the  city.  The  two  gentlemen  named  were  especially 
familiar  with  the  old  jnctograph,  and  kindly  spent  some  time  in 
making  for  me  a  sketch  of  tlie  Piasa,  which  I  liave  now  in  my 
possession. 

Prom  these  various  sources  we  have  had  our  engraving  made  of 
the  Piasa.     It  may  be  objected  to  by  some  on  the  ground  that  it  is 


IIECOKDS    OF    ANCIENT   RACES  11 

too  elaborate  for  the  work  of  an  Indian  artist.  We  also  think  so. 
But  Marquette,  after  describing  the  picture  as  representing  a  hide- 
ous dragon,  combining  birds,  animals,  reptiles,  fishes,  with  the  face 
of  a  man,  goes  on  to  remark:  ''These  monsters  were  so  well 
painted  that  the  Indians  could  hardly  have  designed  them.  Good 
painters  in  France  would  hardly  have  done  as  well."  ^ 

When  it  is  remembered  that  Marquette  was  a  priest,  with  educa- 
tion and  no  small  degree  of  cultivated  intelligence,  our  interest  is 
increased  as  we  wonder  who  could  have  been  the  author  of  this 
remarkable  pictograph.  It  is  also  a  matter  of  interest  to  the 
ethnologist  to  know  that,  in  common  with  the  nations  of  the  old 
world,  most  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  this  country  had  traditions  of 
dragons   and  other  monsters.  • 

Schoolcraft,  who  traveled  at  an  early  day  among  the  Indians, 
and  saw  their  primitive  customs  and  heard  their  traditions,  gives  us 
much  information  of  their  history  and  antiquities  in  his  splendid 
works.  2    He  mentions  a  number  of  these  traditions.     He  says : 

"The  Dacotahs  believe  that  thunder  is  a  monstrous  bird  flying 
through  the  air,  and  the  noise  we  hear  is  the  fluttering  of  the  old 
and  young  ones.  These  birds  were  large  enough  to  carry  off" 
human  beings,  which  the  young  ones  were  sometimes  foolish 
enough  to  do.  The  Dacotahs  also  have  a  tradition  that  one  of  these 
thunder  birds  was  killed,  back  of  Little  Crow's  village  on  the 
Mississippi.  It  had  a  face  like  a  man,  with  a  nose  like  an  eagle's 
bill.  Its  body  was  long  and  slender.  Its  wine:s  had  four  joints  to 
each,  and  were  painted  with  ziz-zag  lines  to  represent  lightning. 
The  back  of  the  bird's  head  was  red  and  r jugh  like  a  turkey." 

We  could  not  fail  to  observe  the  resemblance  between  the 
description  of  the  Thunder  Bird  of  the  Dacotahs  and  that  of  the 
Piasa  of  the  Illinois.  Again  he  speaks  of  a  great  "medicine- 
animar*  to  which  the  medicine-men  of  some  tribes  were  accus 
tomed  to  apply ;  seeking  to  propitiate  its  powers  to  assist  them  in 
their  healing  arts.  Curious  to  know  their  idea  of  the  appearance 
of  this  monster,  Schoolcraft  finally  persaaded  Little  Hill,  a  chief 
of  the  Winnebagoes,  and  himself  a  medicine-man.  to  make  him  a 
drawing  of  the  animal,  which  we  reproduce  here.  This  animal,  he 
was  told,  was  seldom  seen,  and  then  only  by  medicine-men.     This 

1  "  Discovery  und  Exploration  of  the  Mississippi. ""     John  G.  Shea. 

~  Scliooli-raft's  "Indian  Tribes  of  Ann-rica." 


1  ^. 


KECOKDS    OF    ANCIENT    IIACES 


cliiof  had  in  liis  medicine-bag  a  piece  of  bone  wliicli  lie  claimed 
^\VlS  part  of  the  remains  of  one  of  these  animals.  Some  small 
portion  filed  off  from  this  bone  was  a  potent  cure  for  ailments.  ^ 

Tne  same  author  gives  other  illustrations  of  these   Indian    mani 
ious,  with  serrated  backs,   representing  the  scaly  bodies  of  these 
dragon  like-creatures. 

Some  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois 
river,  on  the  west  bank  of  that  stream,  high  up  on  the  smooth  face 
of  an  overhanging  cliff,  is  another  interesting  pictograph,  sculp- 
tured deeply  in   the  hard  rock.     It    remains  to-day  probably   in 


The  Winnebago   Medicine  Animal. 


nearly  the  same  condition  it  was  when  the  French  voyagers  first 
descended  the  river  and  got  their  first  view  of  the  Mississippi. 
The  animal  like  body,  with  the  human  head,  is  carved  in  the  rock  in 
outline.  The  huge  eyes  are  depressions  like  saucers,  an  inch  or 
more  in  depth,  and  the  outline  of  the  body  has  been  scooped  out 
in  the  same  way  ;  also  the  mouth. 

The  figure  of  tlie  archer,  with  the  drawn  bow,  however,  is 
painted,  or  rather  stained  with  a  reddish  browji  pigment,  over  the 
sculptured    outline   of  the  monster's  face.     Although    difficult    of 

i  St'lKwlcnifl's  "Indian  Tribes  of  Anu-iica."  vol.  2.  page  225. 


IX  Tiiii:  Mississn'i'i  vai.li:y. 


13 


access,  we  have  approaclied  near  enougli  t)  this  pictograph  ro 
examine  it.  It  has  the  appearance  of  great  age,  althougli  protected 
by  its  position  from  the  elements,  I  somehow  received  tln^ 
impression  that  tlie  j^ainted  figure  of  the  human  form  witli  the  bow 
and  arrows  might  have  been  made  later  than  the  sculpture.  The 
lapse  of  centuries,  however,  has  had  is  its  effect  on  the  jiainted 
portion  of  the  form  of  the  archer,  and  one  has  now  to  seek  a  favor- 
able lia'ht  on  the  blulF  to  get  a  good  view  of  the  outline. 


Pictograph  on  Illinois  River. 

There  was  a  tradition  among  the  early  white  settlers,  which  thej^ 
seemed  to  have  obtained  from  the  Indians,  that  the  arrow  shown  in 
the  figure,  and  which  points  obliquely  toward  the  foot  of  the  bluff 
some  distance  beyond,  indicated  some  buried  treasure  in  that 
direction.  A  number  of  deep  excavations  in  the  debrjs  at  the  foot 
of  the  cliff  still  attest  the  work  of  credulous  treasure-seekers. 

Ill  our  collection  of  pottery  from  the  ancient  mounds  we  have 
several  pieces  ornamented  with  dragon-like  devices.  We  give  an 
illustration  of  two  of  these;  burial  vases,  with  a  most  pronounced 
dragon-head  standing  up  from  the  rim  of  the  vessel.  There  is  the 
great  mouth  with  the  teeth  revealed,  and  jjrotruding  tongue,  with 
tierce  eyes,  and  the  general  aspect,  not  only  of  the  Piasa,  but  of 
those  mythological  representations  of  the  dragon  so  frequently 
found  in  Asia.  We  present  a  sketch  of  another.  It  is  all  the  more 
interesting  since  we  found  with  it  a  magnificent  collection  of  pottery, 
of  more  than  a  hundred  pieces,  at  the  base  of  the  great  Cahokia 
mound,  in  the  American  Bottom,  in  Madison  County,  Ills.  This  is 
t!ie  largest  artificial  mound  in  the  United  States,  and  perhaps  in  the 


14 


RECORDS    OF   A:N'CIEXT   RACES 


world,  being  one-hundred  feet  in  height,  and  covering  with  its  base 
sixteen  acres  of  ground.  It  is  the  centre  of  a  group  of  seventy-two 
others,  which  surround  it,  and  of  which  a  description  will  be  given 
farther  on  in  this  worli.  They  are  situated  on  a  level  plain,  miles 
from  an}'-  natural  elevation.  For  a  complete  descrijDtion  and  survey 
of  them,  see  "The  Antiquities  of  Cahokia,  or  Monk's  Mound."'  ^ 

Upon  taking  these  curious  old 
burial  vases  from  the  place  where 
they  had  rested  for  ages,  it  was  like 
exhuming  a  museum  of  natural  his- 
tory in  ceramics  ;  for  these  were  the 
shapes  of  animals,  birds,  reptiles, 
fishes,  and  almost  all  animated 
nature,  together  with  the  shapes  of 
From  Cahokia  Mound.  tlie     liumau    form.       Amonu'    them 

were  several  vases  adorned  with  the  dragon  heads. 

The  tradition  of  the  Piasa  has  its  analogy  in  the  well-known 
tradition  of  St.  George,  the  patron  saint  of  England,  who  was  noted 
for  liis  piety  and  knightly  valor.  Traveling  in  Asia,  he  came  to  a 
city  that  was  besieged  by  a  horrible  dragon,  that  had  taken  up  its 
abode  in  a  swamp  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 
Each  day  it  appeared  to  claim  for  its  daily 
repast  an  inhabitant,  until  the  number  of  its 
victims  began  to  tell  fearfulh'  in  the  depletion 
of  their  population.  All  efforts  to  destroy  the  ' 
monster  had  been  in  vain.  Each  day  the 
people  drew,  lots  to  see  who  should  be  the 
next  victim.  Upon  the  day  of  St.  George's 
arrival,  the  afflicted  city  was  in  the  utmost 
consternation,  because  in  casting  lots  for 
the  next  day  the  king's  daughter  had  drawn 
the  unlucky  number.  Of  course  she  was 
beautiful,  and  when  St.  George  got  a  glimpse 
of  her  it  was  a  bad  day  for  the  dragon,  for  he  went  to  sharpening  his 
sword  and  spear,  as  any  true-blooded  Englishman  would,  notwith- 
standing the  Encyclopedia  Britannica  says  he  was  born  in  Asia 
Minor.  The  next  morning  the  valiant-hearted  knight,  mounted  on 
his  war-horse,  in  company  with  the  maiden,  who  walked,  went  out, 


Frcm  Mound  in  Missouri. 


1  "The  Antiquities  of  Cahokia,  or  Monk's  Mound,"  by  Wm.  McAdams. 


I2T   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  15 

in  the  presence  of  the  whole  city,  toward  the  swamp.  The  dragon 
met  them,  and  there  was  a  terrible  conflict,  which  ended  with  the 
death  of  the  monster  by  a  thrust  into  its  vitals  from  the  spear  of 
St.  George.  Some  historians,  in  depicting  the  scene,  have  intimated 
that  during  the  conflict  the  girl  ran  away,  and  this  is  the  reason 
Avliy  St.  George  didn't  marry  her ;  but  this,  of  course,  is  not  generally 
believed.  Of  course  there  was  great  rejoicing  in  that  city ;  and  the}^ 
carried  St.  George,  as  the  Illini  did  Ouatogo,  in  triumph,  and  had  a 
great  Knight  Templar  banc^uet. 

The  pretty  and  romantic  story  of  St.  George  has  its  counterpart 
among  nations  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  although  some  writers  go 
back  for  its  oiigin  to  the  mythology  of  the  Aryans  ^  and  give  it  a 
solar  significance. 

In  the  Buddhists'  caves  ^  in  India  are  carved  and  painted  great 
dragons  without  number,  that  would  fit  Marquette's  desciiption  of  the 
"Piasa,"  or  the  Dacotahs'  ''Thunder  Bird."  And  sometimes,  to  hid- 
eous images  of  monsters  like  these,  it  has  been  the  custom  of  the 
nations  of  the  world  ^  to  offer  up  even  human  sacrifice. 

That  primitive  people  should  have  worshiped  the  sun  seems  nat- 
ural enough,  and  might  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  this  great 
luminary  seemed,  on  each  recurring  season,  to  give  by  its  warming 
ra3"S  new  life  to  the  earth,  and  furnish  them  with  sustenance  and 
warmth,  their  greatest  necessities.  The  sun  seemed  to  them,  and  is 
really,  a  sort  of  creative  power,  that  brought  within  their  reach  the 
means  of  existence.     To  the  savage  this  was  God. 

But  a  puzzling  fact  to  ethnologists  is  that  primitive  people  so 
widely  separated,  even  by  oceans,  whose  distant  continents  and 
parts  of  the  earth  seem  to  have  such  wide  intervals  of  connection 
(especially  since  their  condition  gave  them  such  meagre  means  of 
knowing  one  another  that  isolation  would  seem  complete),  should 
have  so  many  customs  in  common,  observances  that  were  alike, 
and  traditions  that  were  similar. 

Central  America,  in  the  sculptured  walls  of  the  ruins  of  Yucatan 
and  elsewhere,  according  to  Stevens  and  other  writers,  ]3resents 
many  figures  of  dragons  and  monsters  of  that  descrii^tion. 

The  last  jhnerican  Antiquarian   gives  a   fine  cut   of   a   veritable 

1  --Myths  of  the  Arj'iins." 

~  "Il-.ices  of  Men,"  Pickering. 

;5  '-The  Childhootl  of  Religions." 


1(5  RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

dragon-liead,    sculptured   on  the   facade    of     tlie   old  pyramid  of 
Xoliicale  in  Mexico. 

Since  it  is  admitted  that  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  this  conti- 
nent are  still  without  an  adequate  theory  regarding  their  origin,  any 
point  germain  to  the  subject  is  of  interest. 


CHAPTER     IV. 

Was  thkue  ever  a  Creature  like  the  Piasa?— The  Geological  Age  of  Rep- 
tiles.— The  Pterodactyl,  a  Flying  Saurian.— 'J'he  Oldest  Aximal  with 
Feathers.— The  Pictures  in  the  Temple  of  Belus  in  Babylon.— Compound 
Animals.— The  Dragons  of  the  Bible.— A  Dragon's  Skull  from  the  Rocks 
.OF  Dakota. — The  Probable  Origin  of  Mythiological  Dragons. 

^E  have  been  asked  many  times  :  "^yas  there  ever  a  creature 
i^  resembling  the  Piasa,  or  the  Dragon  that  St.  Geoi-p-e  is 
accused  of  killing  f 

This  is  a  question  to  be  decided  by  the  paleontologist,  and  we 
answer  without  hesitation  in  the  affirmative.  It  is  well  knoAvn  to 
all  scientists,  who  have  any  knowledge  of  the  fossils  in  the  rocks, 
that  there  was  a  time  when  the  principal  inhabitants  of  tiie  earth 
were  reptiles,  some  of  which  were  not  very  uidike  some  of  the 
dragons  of  mythology  and  of  the  traditions  of  the  New  World.  It 
was  the  a^re  of  reptiles,  who  lived  mostly  in  the  sea  or  about  the 
shores.  And  some  of  these  ancient  creatures  would  make  the 
dragons  of  our  traditions  small  in  comparison.  AVhile  traditions 
may  be  matters  of  doubt,  paleontological  specimens  are  simply  mat- 
ters of  fact ;  for  we  have  the  actual  bones  of  the  skeleton  of  the  ani- 
mal. In  the  paleontological  collections  at  Harvard  and  Yale  col- 
leges, and  at  the  Smithsonian  in  Washington,  one  can  see  the  act- 
ual skeletons  of  reptilian  monsters  of  wonderful  size  and  shape. 
Some  of  these  reptiles  we  know,  from  the  structure  of  their 
skeletons,  had  the  power  of  flight ;  and  we  actually  know  almost  as 
much  of  these  creatures  now  as  if  we  had  seen  them  ;  although  in 
that  age  there  was  no  mammal  in  existence,  let  alone  a  man  to  view 
them.  We  give  a  representation  of  one  of  these  flj^ng  reptiles, 
restored  from  an  almost  perfect  skeleton  now  in  the  British 
Museum. 

These  great  flying  saurians  seem  to  have  been  quite  common  here 
during  the  Jurassic  age ;  and  many  sjiecimens  of  their  remains  are 
found  in  Western  Nebraska  and  about  the  base  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Some  of  these  creatures  of  flight  had  membraneous 
wings,  not  very  unlike  those  of  the  bat.  They  were  among  the 
hrst  of  flying  creatures ;  no  real  birds  having  as  yet  come  into  ex- 
istence.    But  few  of  the  reptiles,  however,  had  the  power  of  flight. 


18 


RECORDS   OF  ANCIENT  RACES 


and  the  very  great  majority  of  them  were  huge  monsters  that  lived 
in  the  sea  and  about  its  shores.  All  over  the  world,  where  the 
Triassic,  Jurassic  and  cretaceous  rocks  are  seen,  their  remains  are 
found  petrified.  In  the  United  States  these  rocks  are  seen  from 
'New  Jersey  through  the  Southern  States,  and  all  along  the  base  of 
ihe  Rocky  Mountains.  None  of  the  remains  are  found  in  Illinois, 
but  they  are  especially  abundant  in  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Wyom- 
ing and  Dakota.  Many  whole  skeletons  of  these  great  dragons 
have  been  found,  thirty,  forty,  fifty  and  even  a  hundred  feet  in 
length,  and  of  monstrous  proportions;  their  limbs  being  of  ini 
mense  power.  Fine  collections  of  these  strange  animals,  together 
with  the  remains  of  the  uncouth  mammals  who  aj^peard  after  the 
Reptilian  age,  in  the  Tertiary,  are  taken  from  the  rocks  along  the 
base  of  the  Rockv  Mountains. 


Pterodactyl  restored  ;    by  Marsh. 

The  oldest  animal  provided  with  feathers  ^  has  been  found  by 
geologists  in  the  lithographic  slate  of  Germany.  It  is  a  Jurassic  rock, 
and  belongs  to  the  age  of  reptiles.  This  first  feathered  creature 
was  a  flying  reptile,  and  seemed  to  foreshadow  the  coming  of  birds, 
which  appeared  at  a  later  date.  A  quite  perfect  specimen  of  one  of 
these  feathered  saurians  is  preserved  in  the  Berlin  Museum.  We 
give  an  illustration  of  it.  Fourteen  long  quill  feathers  diverge  from 
each  side  of  the  metacarpal  and  phalangial  bones,  and  the  wings 
have  a  general  resemblance  to  those  of  gallinaceous  birds.  Its  tail 
is  composed  of  twenty  vertebra,  each  of  which  supports  a  pair  of 
long  quills.  Tlie  skeleton  is  intact  on  a  slab  of  slate,  and  the 
feathers  are  well  preserved.  ^  There  is  also  in  the  British  Museum 
an  almost  perfect  skeleton  of  the  same  animal,  with  the  feathers 
attached. 


1  Geology 


•Owens" 


IN   tup:    MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY 


19 


1*>, 


1^^ 


We  ]iave  that  very  line  English  work  by  Thos.  Hawkins,  illus- 
trating and  describing  the  life  of  the  Reptilian  age.  That  which 
interested  us  as  much  as  anything  the  ponderous  volume  contains 
was  a  quotation  on  the  title-page,  from  an  old  writer  who  lived  in 
Bab3'lon  when  it  was  the  most  magnificent  city  in  the  world.  It  is  a 
most  complete  description  of  the  many  uncouth  creatures  that  peo- 
pled the  world  before  the  advent  of  man.     Here  is  the  quotation  : 

''Berosus  the  Chaldean  saith,  y, 

a  time  was  when  the  universe  ^  -   -""'^ 

was      darkness      and     waters,      ,  ^    \  "-     , 

wherein  certain  animals  of 
frightful  compound  forms  were 
generated.  There  were  ser- 
pents and  other  creatures  with 
the  mixed  forms  of  one  another, 
which  pictures  are  kept  in  the  temple 
of  Belus  in  Babylon."  ^ 

It  is  known  to  geologists  that  the 
rocks  of  a  portion  of  Egypt  and  about 
the  region  of  Babylon  and  the  hills  of 
Jerusalem,  are  the  same  as  those  of 
which  we  have  spoken  in  Nebraska, 
Wyoming,  Dakota  and  about  the  base 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  and  belong- 
to  the  age  of  reptiles  and  the  early 
mammals.  It  may  even  be  possible 
that  a  collection  of  these  remains  was 
brought  into  Babylon,  as  intimated 
by  Berosus. 

The  Bible  speaks  of  dragons ;  and 
St.  John,  in  the  revelation  of  his  vision, 
saw  a  great  I)east  with  ten  horns  come 
up  out  of  the  sea.  We  have  seen  taken  from  a  bank  in  tlie  "Bad 
Lands "  of  Dakota  the  huge  petrified  skull  of  tlie  Uintatherium 
that  rivalled  in  the  number  of  its  horns  the  beast  of  the  Jewish 
revelator,  and  doubtless  would  have  been  quite  as  satisfactory  in 
regard  to  size  and  hideousness.  At  the  Smithsonian  at  Washington, 
as  well  as  in  the  collections  at  Yale  and  Harvard  and  other  places, 


? 


rh 


The  first  Feathered  Animal. 


2  "Book  of  Great  Sea  Draorons/'     Hawkins. 


20 


RECORDS    OF   AINX'lENT    RACES 


the  student  can  at  any  time  examine  hundreds  of  these  creatures. 

Some  paleontologists  have  exj^ressed  belief  that  it  miglit  have 
been  possible  that  some  of  these  creatures,  especially  those  with 
power  of  flight,  might  have  survived  until  after  the  advent  of  man ; 
but  it  is  more  probable  that  it  is  from  the  petrified  remains  that 
mankind  received  the  idea  of  the  Dragon,  which  has  pervaded  the 
literature,  not  only  of  Asia,  but  of  tlie  whole  world,  and  is  even 
found  among  the  pictographs  of  the  Mound- Builders  of  America. 

Having  done  with  the  natural  history  of  dragons,  we  go  back  to 
our  pictographs. 


Skull  of  tne  Uintathetium. 


CHAPTER    V. 

OthkuPictogkaphs  ON  THE  Bluff  ABOVE  Alton. — Their  Appearance  and  Des- 
cription.— A  Human  Form  dkpicted  in  Adoration  of  the  Sun. — Were  the 
Mound-Builders  worshippers  of  the  Sun. — Two  huge  Birds  in  Combat. — 
Figures  of  the  Sun,  ]\Ioon  and  other  Tlanets. — The  Age  of  the  Picto- 
GRAPiis. — Mounds  on  the  Bluff  above  them. — The  Contents  of  the  Mounds. 
The  beautiful  Breast-Plate  and  Gorget  of  Shell. 

'^i^jjFE  liave  intimated,  in  a  discussion  of  the  Piasa,  that  there 
gJ^M[s  were  other  pictographs  in  the  vicinity  that  had  possibly 
been  confused  with  the  great  picture  of  the  monsters  on  the  bluff  at 
Alton.  Some  three  or  four  miles  above  the  city,  high  up  beneath 
the  overhanging  cliff,  which  forms  a  sort  of  cave  shelter,  on  the 
smooths  face  of  a  thick  ledge  of  rock,  is  a  series  of  paintings,  twelve 
in  number.  They  are  painted  or  rather  stained  in  the  rock,  with  a 
reddish-brown  pigment  that  seems  to  defy  the  tooth  of  time.  It 
may  be  said,  however,  that  their  position  is  so  sheltered  that  they 
remain  almost  perfectly  dry.  "We  made  sketches  of  them  some 
thirty  years  ago ;  and  on  a  recent  visit  could  see  that  they  had 
chan,:^ed  but  little,  although  their  appearance  denotes  great  age. 
Th(>v  doubtless  have  been  there  for  centuries. 

These  pictographs  are  situated  on  tlie  cliif  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  river.  A  protruding  ledge,  which  is  easily  reached 
from  a,  hollow  in  the  bluff,  leads  to  the  cavernous  place  in  the  rock; 
and  while  one  is  safe  from  rain  or  storms,  he  has  a  splendid  view, 
not  only  of  the  Mississippi,  vv^hich  flows,  a  mile  in  width,  in  majesty 
below,  but  of  the  cultivated  bottom  lands  on  the  opposite  shore, 
and  bej^ond,  the  turbid  wat^'rs  of  the  Missouri, — one  of  the  most 
magnificent  scenes  of  this  romantic  locality. 

On  the  next  page  we  give  an  illustration  of  the  pictographs. 

Half  the  figures  of  the  group  are  circles  of  various  kinds,  prob- 
ably each  having  a  different  meaning.  On  the  left  are  two  large 
birds,  apparently  having  a  combat,  in  which  tlie  larger  bird  seems 
about  to  be  victorious.  To  the  right  of  the  birds  is  a  larii-e  circle 
enclosing  a  globe,  and  before  which  is  the  representation  of  the 
human  form,  with  bowed  head  and  inclined  body,  as  if  in  the  act 
of  offering  to  the  great  circle  something  triangular  in  shajDe,  not 
very  unlike  a  basket  with  a  handle,  which  is   held   in   the    hand. 


22  RECORDS    OF    ANCIENT    RACES 

Among  all  the  ancient  pictograplis  we  have  seen,  this  is  the  only 
one  where  the  human  form  is  dex^icted  as  if  in  adoration,  perhaps 
to  the  sun.  For  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  Mound-Builders  were 
worshippers  of  the  sun,  or  of  fire,  which  seemed  to  them  to  repre- 
sent the  great  luminary.  Counting  from  the  left,  the  eighth  ligure 
in  the  group  seems  to  be  intended  to  represent  some  carnivorous 
animal  with  a  long  tail,  wiiich  is  turned  over  its  back.  This  fiaure, 
when  we  lirst  saw  tlie  pictograplis,  some  thirty  years  ago,  was 
missing  from  the  series;  a  large  piece  of  the  face  of  the  ledge 
having  been  detached,  perha]3S  during  some  earthquake  years  ago, 
and  now  lying,  face  downward,  in  the  debris  below.  Curious  to 
know  what  the  illustration  might  be,  if  any,  on  the  fallen  portion  of 
the  ledge,  we  made  an  excavation  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the 
under  side,  and  were  rewarded  by  finding  the  above  figure,  a  little 
clearer  and  brighter  than  the  others.  A  considerable  tree  grew 
upon  it,  to  indicate  some  lapse  of  time  since  the  piece  left  its  place 
in  the  ledge.     It  can  be  seen  to-day,  just  as  we  left  it. 


Pictographs  on  the  Bluff  above  Alton. 

The  ruext  figure  in  the  series  is  a  large  bird,  with  extended  -wings, 
which  seem  to  come  from  the  base  of  the  neck.  This  curious 
winged  creature  seems  to  be  having  a  combat  with  a  circle  or 
planet  with  two  horns.  This  is  an  interesting  figure,  because  it  is 
repeated  in  other  groups,  as  we  shall  show  ;  and  is  quite  evidently 
intended  to  represent  a  contest  of  flying  animals  over  the  posses- 
sion or  destruction  of  a  circle  or  pkiuet. 

At  some  little  distance  then  follows  in  the  series  the  representa- 
tion of  an  owl ;  the  whole  ending  with  a  smaller  red  circle. 

This  most  interesting  group  of  pictographs  has  the  appearance 
of  great  age ;  but,  if  one  will  take  the  trouble  to  approach  near  to 
them,  they  are  clearly  discernable,  and  doubtless  will  remain  so  for 
many  years  to  come. 

On  the  top  of  the  bluff  above  these  j)ictographs  are  a  number 
of  ancient  mounds,  not  very  large  ones.  Upon  excavating  in  them 
we  found  them  to  contain  human  remains,  in  a  tolerable  state  of 
preservation.   The  material  of  wliich  the  mound  was  composed,  being 


IX   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  23 

loess,  together  with  the  dry  and  elevated  position,  was  favorable  to 
resist  decay.  In  burial,  the  bodies  had  been  laid  prone  on  the 
ground,  with  limbs  extended.  Some  ornaments  from  sea-shells, 
with  a  few  rude  bone  and  slone  implements,  were  all  of  this  nature 
to  be  found.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  that  mio;ht  indicate  any 
connection  with  the  pictographs  on  the  face  of  the  rock  below. 

We  were  very  careful  to  preserve  the  skulls  from  the  mounds. 
With  a  single  exception  they  were  so  smooth  and  symmetrical,  so 
devoid  of  prominences,  that  we  judged  they  might  be  the  crania  of 
women.  One,  however,  was  exceedingly  strong  in  delineation  of 
character,  with  great  ridges  that  formed  battlements  for  his  per- 
ceptive faculties.  One  of  his  arms  and  tliree  of  his  ribs  had  at  one 
time  been  broken,  and  healed  without  the  aid  of  a  very  efficient 
surgeon ;  there  was  also  a  scar  from  an  old  wound  on  one  of  the 
leg  bones.  On  his  breast  remains  was  a  pretty  gorget,  as  large 
as  one's  outstretched  hand,  made  from  a  large  sea-shell,  probably 
a  Busycon.  This  pretty  ornamental  badge  was  neatly  made  to 
represent  a  turtle,  but  bore  no  inscription  or  device  of  any  kind. 
We  have,  however,  a  number  of  these  gorgets,  in  both  shell  and 
copper,  that  bear  devices,  and  were,  perhaps,  a  sort  of  symbol 
in  themselves,  beside  the  inscriptions  cut  upon  them. 


CHAPTER     VI. 

SCULPTUKKD  PlCTOGRAPHS    IN  A    CaVE    IN  STE.    GeNEVIEVE    CO..  MO.— DESCRIPTION 

OF  THE  Cave.— The  Appeakance  of  the  Cakvino.^.— Human  Footpkints.— 
Fighting  Birds,  Cross-Cikci.es  AND  strange  Device?.— Evidence  of  Long 
Occupancy  of  the  Vicinity.— Mounds. — Stone  Graves. — Salit  Springs  — 
Remains  of  Salt  Evaporating-Pans.— Peculiar  Burial,  vtith  huge  Salt- 
Pans  for  a  Coffin. 

yiY-here  is  anotliev  very  interesting  group  of  pictographs  to  be  seen 
^IS  in  a  small  cavern  on  the  hank,  of  the  Saline  River,  near  where  it 
empties  into  the  Mississippi,  in  St.  Genevieve  Co.,  Mo.  i  The 
figures  are  eighteen  in  number,  and  are  carved  or  cut  in  the  smooth 
face  of  the  hard  limestone  walls,  which  gradually  slope  toward  the 
floor,  in  the  centre  of  wliich  is  a  deep  gutter,  through  which  runs 
quite  a  stream  of  clear  spiing  water,  coming  from  the  recesses  of 
the  cave  beneath  the  hill  and  emptying  into  the  Saline. 

Being  in  the  vicinit}^  our  attention  was  called  to  the  curious 
marks  on  the  walls  of  this  cavern ;  and  we  spent  several  days  in 
their  examination.  At  first  we  saw  only  those  near  the  mouth  of 
the  opening  ;  but  having  procured  a  light  and  an  old  broom  from  a 
settler  in  the  vicinity,  by  dint  of  scrubbing  and  washing  away  the 
dirt  and  accumulation  of  ages  from  the  sloping  walls,  we  laid  bare 
tliis  most  interesting  series  of  carvings,  v/hich  we  present  in  the 
following  illustrations. 

There  are  two  lines  of  the  series,  one  on  each  wall  of  the  cave. 
Those  on  the  left  of  the  illustration  are  nearest  the  opening  or 
mouth,  and  the  upper  line  of  figures  are  on  the  left  wall  as  one 
enters  the  opening  ;  which  a  person  can  quite  easily  do  in  an  erect 
position,  after  having  once  reached  the  cave  through  the  water  that 
issues  forth,  forming  quite  a  stream. 

The  relative  position  of  the  figures  on  the  wall  is  as  shown  in  the 
cut.  In  the  upper  line,  below  the  two  bird  tracks,  there  is  a  figure 
wanting;  it  being  so  obscure  that  we  were  unable  to  make  it  out 
correctly.  In  the  lower  line  there  are  also  some  figures  w^anting 
between  the  circle  and  the  birds.  The  size  of  the  figures  may  be 
inferred  from  the  larger  representation  of  the  human    foot  in    the 

1  See  "Footprints  of  Vanishetl  Rac(.'S,*   Coiuint. 


RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES  25 

upper  line.  This  measures  fourteen  inches  from  tlie  extremity  of 
the  great  toe  to  the  heel.  Across  the  ball  of  the  foot,  just  back  of 
the  toes,  it  measures  seven  inches.  The  figures  are  wholly 
engraved  in  the  rock,  the  cutting  varying  from  half  an  incli  to 
an  inch  and  a  half  in  depth.  In  the  case  of  the  human  feet,  they 
lepresent  almost  precisely  the  track  a  person's  foot  would  make  in 
a  plastic  substance  like  softened  clay  or  mud.  There  are  the 
raised  interstices  between  the  toes,  and  the  deeper  places  of  the 
ball  of  the  foot  and  the  heel.  The  birds  and  the  circles  are  made 
in  the  same  way,  by  cutiiug  them  bodily  out  of  the  rock. 

The   interesting  figure   of  the   apparent  combat  of  birds  over   a 
circle  is  repeated,  as  the  same  figure  is  sliowu  o:\  both  sides  of  the 


^^^  O  -^sC^'-V'^ 


j$w> 


Pictographs  in  Cave  at  Ste.  Genevieve. 

cav-e.  It  will  be  remembered  that  somewhat  similar  figures  of 
combatting  birds  are  shown  in  the  preceding  illustration  of  the 
pictographs  on  the  bluff's  above  Alton.  Some  of  the  same  hiero- 
glyphic circles  are  also  shown.  These  circular  figures  ar<,^  not 
uncommon  among  the  pictographs  of  the  Mississippi,  and  are  of 
great  interest,  more  especially  the  two  shown  in  the  preceding 
illustration,  having  the  cross  enclosed.  The  illustrations  of  the 
human  footprints,  with  those  of  birds  and  other  creatures,  are  also 
found  in  many  places  ;  but  we  shall  discuss  these  farther  along  in 
our  paper.  The  representation  of  the  birds,  however,  as  if  in  combat 
over  a  circle  or  plane h,  is  more  rare,  and  we  are  not  aware  that  it 
has  been  found  excepting  along  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  where 
it  occurs  a  number  of   times. 


26 


RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 


About  the  region  of  the  Saline,  where  the  cave  containing  the 
pictographs  described  is  situated,  there  is  evidence  of  long  occu- 
pancy by  the  Mound-Builders  or  some  of  the  later  tribes  of  Indians. 
There  are  many  mounds,  and  some  of  them  of  large  size.  There 
are  also  many  of  the  shallow  stone  graves,  made  much  more 
recently.  But  the  greatest  attraction  of  this  spot,  probably,  to  all 
races,  since  man  first  roamed  over  the  wilds  of  the  continent,  was 
the  singular  salt  springs.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  Saline  there 
are  three  springs,  nearly  a  mile  apart,  from  which  there  wells  up  a 
strong  saline  water,  and  all  about  the  region  are  the  remains  of 
earthen  vessels  in  which  the  salt  was  evaporated.  In  one  of  the 
mounds  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  find  two  of  these  curious  vessels 
almost  entire.  They  had  been  used  for  the" coffin  of  a  child  ;  some 
loving  mother  having  carefully  placed  the  little  body  in  one  vessel 
and  used  the  other  for  a  cover.  They  are  over  three  feet  across  the 
rim,  and  perhaps  the  only  perfect  ones  in  the  country  to-day. 


Sphynx  Pipe,  found  by  tho  writer  in  a  Mound  on  bluff  eaot  of  Cahoi<,a,  ,.  ,-See  page  46. 


CHAPTER     VII. 

Sculptured  Pictographs  in  a  Cave  in  Greene  County,  Ills. — Description 
OF  the  Cave. — Illustration  op  the  Hock  with  the  Carvings  upon  it.— 
The  Human  Footprint  with  Six  Toes. — Account  of  other  Six-Toed 
WORKS  IN  Tennessee. — Other  Devices. — The  Stone  Seat. — The  Size  of 
THE  Mound-Builders. — The  Cave  a  Natural  Amphitheatre. — Mounds  on 
the  Bluff.— Objects  found  in  them. — Accumulation  op  Ashes  in  a 
Cave. — Caves  places  of  Habitation  and  places  of  Resort. — Cave  Men. 
— Were  they  Cannibals? 

^LOJSTG  the  Illinois  river,  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  from 
its  mouth,  is  another  cave,  situated  in  the  limestone  cliff,  iu 
Avhicli  is  another  series  of  carvings,  on  the  face  of  a  large  triangular 
rock,  that  has  fallen  from  a  ledge  within  the  cavern  and  lies  on  the 
floor.  The  carvings  are  nearly  of  the  same  size  as  those  shown  in 
the  preceding  illustration.  Some  of  the  figures  are  cut  a  little 
deeper  in  the  rock,  and  are  perhaps  better  preserved,  and  do  not 
present  the  appearance  of  such  great  age.  On  the  next  page  is  an 
illustracion  of  the  rock  with  the  carvings  upon  it.  The  figures  are 
nineteen  in  number. 

The  larger  representation  of  the  human  foot  is  singular,  from  the 
fact  that  it  has  six  toes  instead  of  five.  Morse's  Universal  Geography, 
according  to  Priest  ^  gives  an  account  of  a  number  of  tracks, or  foot- 
impressions,  found  in  the  rocks  in  the  mountains  of  Tennessee. 
Among  these  were  a  number  of  tracks  representing  human  feet, 
and  they  uniformly  had  six  toes  on  each  foot.  Since  it  is  known 
that  it  is  not  natural  for  man,  or  an  animal  for  that  matter,  to  have 
six  toes,  this  representation  is  indeed  singular.  It  is  the  only  foot- 
mark among  many  we  have  seen  that  has  six  toes.  The  other 
human  foot  represented  on  the  stone  in  the  illustration  has  the 
usual  number  of  toes.  The  circles  and  bird-tracks  also  represented 
are  very  similar  to  those  in  the  preceding  illustration. 

Although  all  the  figures  on  this  rock  are  cut  into  the  stone,  we 
observed,  on  making  a  careful  examination  of  the  cave  and  vicinitj^, 
that  there  was  in  the  mouth  of  the  cave  one  of  the  painted  circles  ; 
and  in  a  cave  shelter  near,  two  more  of  the  same  kind. 

AVe  observed  in  the  cavern  that  the  ledge  from  which  the  stone 

1  Priest's  "American  Antiquities.''' 


28 


RECORDS   OF   AN"CIENT   RACES 


Gontaiuiug  the  pictograplis  liad  fallen  was  a  few  feet  above  tlie 
floor,  and,  extending  around  its  sides  in  a  circular  manner,  made  a 
very  convenient  seat,  as  in  a  small  amphitlieatre  with  a  circular 
bench.  This  stone  seat  is  Avorn  almost  as  smooth  as  glass ;  and 
the  seat  being  too  high  for  the  sitters  to  touch  the  floor,  there  is  a 
mark  all  around  where  their  heels  rubbed  the  ledge  below.  This 
mark  is  smooth  and  polished  like  the  seat  above.  With  our  com- 
panions we  sat  on  this  seat;  and,  our  heels  coming  on  the  smooth 
line  below,  we  judged  that  these  aborigines  had  been  men  of  large 
size.  The  stone  with  the  pictograplis  did  not  bear  this  mark  of 
smoothness,  and  probably  lay  where  it  was  found  before  the 
carving  was  done. 


Carved   Rock  in  Cave  in  Greene  County,  Illinois. 


With  the  dim  light  of  a  miner's  lamp  held  high  above  our  heads, 
to  aid  the  feeble  rays  of  sunlight  from  the  entrance  behind  us,  we 
gazed  around  on  this  old  subterranean  council-chamber,  and  would 
fain  imagine  we  saw  the  seat  filled  with  the  forms  of  a  strange 
people,  deliberating  on  the  questions  of  their  time,  of  which  we 

know  so  little. 

Following  a  little-used  pathway  that  wound  about  the  point  of 
the  bluff,  we  finally  found  ourselves  on  top  of  the  cliff,  that 
extended  out  as  a  ridge  into  the  level  plateau  beyond.  Here  we 
found  a  number  of  ancient  mounds,   which  we  explored;   but  our 


IN"   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  29 

reward  was  but  little  of  any  liistorical  value,  except  a  few  more 
remains  of  the  Mound-Builders'  crania,  more  ornaments  of  sea- 
sliells,  a  rude  stone  pipe,  and  a  few  implements  of  stone  ; — nothing 
to  reveal  whether  they  had  belonged  to  the  occu])ants  of  the 
strange  cavern  below. 

In  a  small  cave  near,  we  exhumed  from  the  floor  a  number  of  im- 
plements, which  we  have  described  in  a  previous  work.  ^  The 
whole  floor  of  the  cavern  was  covered  with  an  accumulation  of 
ashes,  in  some  places  to  tlie  depth  of  several  feet,  going  to  show 
that  the  place  had  been  the  abode  of  some  people  for  long  periods. 
In  the  ashes  were  accumulations  of  the  kitchen  refuse,  such  as 
pieces  of  broken  crockery,  bones  of  animals,  birds,  flshes,  many 
clam-shells,  and  the  bones  of  turtles  ;  and  mingled  with  the  refuse 
were  stone  and  bone  implements,  ornaments  and  other  belongings  of 
a  rude  descri^Dtion.  I  received  the  impression,  from  a  study  of  these 
old  cavernous  places  of  habitation  and  resort,  that  quite  doubtless 
the  locality  had  been  inhabited  sucessivelj^  in  sequence  of  time,  by 
tribes  with  dilferent  customs,  and  greater  or  less  degrees  of  cultiva- 
tion in  their  rude  arts.  For  some  certainly  were  the  veriest  savages  ; 
else  they  practiced  the  lowest  customs  through  dire  extremity. 
This  I  judged  from  the  fact  that  among  the  numerous  bones  of  ani- 
mals taken  from  the  accumulations  in  this  cavern  were  also  a  few 
human  bones  ;  and  these,  like  all  of  those  of  the  animals,  had  been 
broken  lengthwise,  for  the  purpose,  I  judged,  of  obtaining  the  mar- 
row, of  which  substance  all  savages  seem  to  be  very  fond.  But  that 
they  should  break  human  bones  for  the  purpose  of  eating  the  mar- 
row would  show  that  some  of  our  ancient  people  were  open  to  the 
charge  of  cannibalism.  They  probably  preceded  the  makers  of 
the  pictographs  now  under  discussion. 

1  "Ancient  Mounds  of  Illinois,"     McAdams. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Hlman  Footprints  IN  THE  KocKS  AT  Alton. — Footprints  of  Men  and  Animals 
IN  Rocks  in  Tennessee. — Footprints  in  the  Kock  at  St.  Lolis. — Desckip- 
tion  and  Illustration.— The  Early  Settlers  superstitious  in  regard  to 
THEM.— Ancient  Footprints  in  Ohio. — Footprints  in  Ireland.— Footprints 
of  THE  Savior  at  Jerusalem. — Sacred  Footprints  on  Mt.  Adam  in  Ceylon. 
— The  various  Beliefs  in  regard  to  them.— The  Kelation  of  Peculiar 
Customs  in  various  parts  of  the  Globe. 

^7P^S  before  remarked,  the  representations  of  human  foot- tracks, 
^ifj^  described  as  being  carved  on  the  rocks,  are  not  uncommon  in 
the  Mississippi  Valley  and  some  other  parts  of  the  Union,  At 
Alton,  a  short  distance  from  the  spot  where  the  Piasa  once  adorned 
the  bluff,  and  on  the  smooth  surface  of  an  elevated  strata  of  rock 
that  extended  out  into  the  Mississippi,  there  was  to  be  seen,  for 
many  years,  a  perfect  pair  of  human  foot-jDrints  in  the  solid  stone. 
Just  below  the  city,  in  early  daj^s,  was  a  second  pair  of  these  maiks 
of  feet  in  the  rock ;  just  as  though  some  man  of  very  large  size  had 
stood  upon  the  rock,  when  it  was  in  a  plastic  state,  and  sunk  a 
little  distance  in  the  yielding  deposit.  Although  we  know  these 
foot-marks  are  carvings,  and  belong  to  the  pictographs,  it  was  the 
almost  universal  belief  among  the  early  white  settlers  that  these 
works  were  impressions  made  when  the  rocks  were  soft  and  not  yet 
petrified.  Morse,  ^  in  his  '•  Universal  Geography,"  speaks  of  tracks 
like  these  found  in  Tennessee.  He  says  :  "  In  the  State  of  Teimessee, 
on  a  certain  mountain,  called  the  Enchanted  Mountain,  situated  a 
few  miles  south  of  Braystown,  which  is  at  the  headwaters  of  the 
Tennessee  river,  are  found  impressed  on  the  surface  of  the  solid 
rock  a  great  number  of  tracks,  as  turkeys,  bears,  horses  and  human 
beings,  as  perfect  as  they  could  be  made  in  snow  or  sand.  The 
human  tracks  are  remarkable  for  having  uniformly  six  toes  each, 
one  only  excepted,  which  appears  to  be  the  print  of  a  Xegro's  foot. 
One  among  these  tracks  is  distinguished  from  the  rest  by  its  mon- 
strousness,  being  of  no  less  dimensions  than  sixteen  inches  in 
length;  across  the  toes,  thirteen  inches  ;  behind  the  toes  where  the 
foot  narrows  toward  the  instep,  seven  inches,  and  the  heel-ball  live 
inches.'' 

1  Priest's  "  Antiquities." 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY. 


81 


Schoolcraft,  in  liis  ''Travels  along  the  Mississippi"  informs  ns  that 
on  the  limestone  strata  of  rock,  which  forms  the  shores  of  the 
Mississippi  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis,  were  found 
the  tracks  of  the  human  foot,  deeply  and  perfectly  impressed  in 
the  solid  stone. 

"  The  impressions  in  the  the  stone  are  to  all  appearances  tliosc^  of 
a  man  standing  in  an  erect  posture,  with  the  left  foot  a  little  ad- 
vanced and  the  heels  drawn  in.  The  distance  between  the  heels,  by 
accurate  measurement,  is  six  inches  and  a  quarter,  and  between  the 
extremities  of  the  toes,  thirteen  and  a  half.  The  length  of  these 
tracks  is  ten  and  a  quarter  inches  ;  across  the  toes,  four  and  a  half, 
and  but  two  and  a  half  at  the  heel."  We  reproduce  Schoolcraft's 
illustration. 


Carved   Pictographs  on  the  Rocks,  near  St,  Louis.     • 

Schoolcraft  continues:  "Directly  before  the  prints  of  these  feet, 
within  a  few  inches,  is  a  well-impressed  and  deep  mark,  having 
some  resemblance  to  a  scroll  or  roll  of  parchment,  two  feet  long  by 
one  foot  in  width." 

"  To  account  for  these  appearances  "  says  the  same  writer,  "  two 
theories  are  advanced ;  one  is  that  they  were  sculptured  there  by 
the  ancient  nations  ;  the  other,  that  they  were  impressed  there  at  a 
time  when  the  rock  was  in  a  plastic  state.  Both  theories  have  their 
difhculties,  butwe.are  inclined  to  the  latter,  because  the  impressions 
are  strikingly  natural,  exhibiting  even  the  muscular  marks  of  the 


32  EECOKDS    OF   ANCIENT   KACES 

foot,  with  great  precision  and  faithfulness  to  nature."     This  weak- 
ens, he  thinks,  the  theory  of  their  "being  sculptured. 

But  what  hothered  Schoolcraft  wa?,  that  there  were  no  other 
tracks  going  or  coming.  "It  is  unaccountable,"  he  says,  "unless  one 
may  suppose  the  rest  of  the  rock  at  that  time  was  buried  by  earth, 
brush,  grass  or  some  kind  of  covering." 

Had  Schoolcraft  seen  the  carvings  in  the  cavern  of  St.  Genevieve 
Co.,  he  would  hardly  have  thought  the  birds  and  the  circles,  that  are 
associated  with  the  footprints  there,  were  impressions. 

The  representations  of  human  feet,  described  as  being  seen  at  an 
early  day  in  the  vicinity  of  Alton,  were,  as  well  at  those  at  St. 
Louis,  cut  out  and  taken  east;  and  they  are  now  said  to  be  in  a 
museum  in  Philadelphia. 

There  is,  however,  a  very  fine  specimen  of  these  old  carvings  in 
the  collection  of  Washington  University  at  St.  Louis.  This 
was  found  in  the  vicinity.  We  hav3  two  of  these  tracks  in  our 
own  collection,  from  Missouri.  There  are  numerous  others  in 
collections  in  the  different  States.  We  saw  some  of  them  in  Ihe 
fine  collection  of  Dr.  Jones,  in  New  Orleans. 

We  have  seen  one  specimen  of  these  carvings,  and  heard  of 
others,  in  which,  instead  of  the  naked  foot  being  represented,  it 
was  the  moccasin,  or  cov(M-iiig. 

Engravings  of  many  of  these  foot-representations,  both  of  naked 
feet  and  those  on  which  were  moccasins  or  coverings,  are  given  in 
the  Ohio  Centennial  Report.  Tlie  representations  of  foot-coverings. 
of  which  there  are  so  many  on  the  rocks  in  Ohio,  simply  show  the 
common  primitive  foot-gear  of  the  Indian.     There  is  no  raised  heel. 

Keeping  prominent  before  us  the  ethnological  fact  that  the  origin 
of  the  Mound-Builders  and  aborigines  of  this  continent  is  still  un- 
known to  us,  we  always  look  with  interest  on  any  ethnical  relation 
of  customs,  habits,  traditions,  and  especially  on  any  hieroglyph  oi- 
primitive  record  that  may  have  a  bearing  on  this  subject.  Emi- 
nently germain  to  this  point  is  the  fact  that  in  Europe,  and  else- 
where in  the  old  world,  are  precisely  such  representations  of  feet 
carved  in  the  rock. 

Various  authors  tell  us  that  these  foot-marks  are  not  uncommon 
in  Ireland ;  and  the  "  Origin  of  Religions  "  speaks  of  them  as  still 
held  in  great  veneration  there,  as  of  supernatural  origin.  The  pretty 
story  is  told  that  the  peasants  of  that  country  believe  these  marks 
to  be  the  footprints  of  saints,  whose  souls,  being  released  from 
the  trials  of  earth,  sprang  towards  heaven  with  such  joy  and  avidity 


IN    THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  33 

as  to   leave  on  earth,  even  on   the  rock,  the    impression   of   their 
last  contact  with  the  scene  of  all  their  troubles. 

As  is  well  known,  there  is  at  Jerusalem  a  shrine  erected  over  sim- 
ilar foot-marks,  that  are  held  in  great  veneration,  and  believed  by 
some  to  have  been  made  by  Christ  when  he  walked  over  some  rocks 
in  carrying  the  heavy  cross  up  the  hill  of  Calvary.  Mark  Twain 
speaks  of  these  footprints,  in  "  Innocents  Abroad,  "  and  says  the 
tracks  were  of  large  size. 

Several  writers  who  have  visited  the  island  of  Ceylon, — among 
them  Sir  Samuel  Baker,  1  who  spent  eight  years  in  that  interesting 
country, — speak  of  a  sacred  mountain  called  Adam's  Peak,  of 
w^hicli  we  have  read  this  most  interesting  account,  taken  from  a 
St.  Louis  paper.  -^ 

"  Out  of  the  green  depths  of  the  primeval  forests  of  Ce^don  rises 
a  mountain  seven  thousand  five  hundred  feet  high.  A  path  up  the 
mountain's  side  winds  to  the  top  ;  a  perilous  road  up  which  a  great 
multitude  of  pilgrims  go,  assisted  in  some  places  on  the  way  by 
the  aid  of  chains  fastened  to  rings  in  the  rock. 

"^'ow  there  is  a  shrine,  with  silver  bells,  over  the  foot-marks. 
Up  this  path  the  pilgrims  ascend  day  and  night.  At  night,  for 
miles  away,  afar  off  over  the  country,  can  be  seen  the  lights  of  the 
weary  devotees,  as  they  slowly  wind  their  way  toward  the  shrine  on 
the  mountain's  top. 

*'  Buddhists  believe  these  two  foot-prints  to  be  those  of  Gautama. 

"The  Mohammedans  believe  that  Eden  was  near,  and  that  when 
Adam  was  expelled  from  Paradise  he  wandered  to  the  top  of  this 
mountain,  and  left  in  the  rock  the  prints  of  his  bare  feet,  during  a 
moment  of  agony  in  imploring  God  to  replace  him  in  the  Garden. 
Thus  it  is  called  Adam's  Peak. 

^  Brahmins  believe  the  foot-marks  to  be  those  of  their  god  Siva. 

"  Portuguese  and  other  Christians  believe  them  to  be  the  foot- 
prints of  St.  Thomas.     But  all  make  pilgrimages  to  the  sacred  spot." 

What  we  are  to  learn  from  these  strange  rock-inscriptions 
remains  to  be  seen.  But  the  persistency  of  type,  as  seen  in  the 
most  distant  parts  of  the  world,  is  at  the  very  least  suggestive  of 
some  sort  of  relation  among  the  customs  of  the  primitive  inhabi- 
tants of  the  globe. 

1  "  Ei2ht  Years  in  Ceylou."'  i  "  St.  Louis  Eepublican." 


CHAPTER     IX. 

THE  Bone-Cavern  WHERE  THE  Pi  ASA  devoured  its  Victims. — Description  of  the 
Bone-Cavern  at  Grafton. — The  ancient  Bones  taken  from  it. — Singular 

FACT  THAT  NO  BONES  OF  THE  BUFFALO  ARE  FOUND  EITHER  IN  CaVES  OR  IN 

Mounds. — Did  the  Mound-Builders  Know  the   Buffalo? — The  Buffalo 

PROBABLY  A    COMPARATIVELY  EeCENT     AnIMAL    IN  THE  MISSISSIPPI   VaLLEY. — 

Illustration  of  the  Bone-Cavern  at  Grafton. — The  singular  Pictograph 
ON  THE  Rocks  above  the  Entrance.— Indications  of  Cannibalism  among  the 
Cave-Dwellers. — Cave  Ornaments  of  Stalactite. -Caves  the  first  Xatural 
Habitations  of  Man. — Indications  in  the  Caves  of  the  Age  of  their  Occu- 
pation.— The  Age  of  the  Eock  in  which  the  Caves  occur. — Relics  made 
from  Fossils. — Mound  on  the  Bluff  over  the  Cave. — Description  of  the 
Pictograph  over  the  Entrance  to  the  Cave. — Visits  of  the  Indians  to  the 
Locality. — What  they  said  of  the  Cave. 

fN  reciting  the  tradition  of  the  Piasa,  in  the  first  chapter  of  this 
volume,  Mr.  Russell  makes  mention  of  a  cavern  in  the  bluff 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River,  and  referred  to  as  one  of  the 
fastnesses  to  whi(5li  the  monster  took  his  victims  to  be  devoured  at 
leisure.  In  his  visit  to  this  cavern  he  describes  it  as  containing  a 
great  quantity  of  human  bones.  There  is  a  cavern  just  below  the 
town  of  Grafton,  known  for  many  years  as  tlie  "Bone  Cave.''  The 
outer  part  of  the  cavern  was  simply  a  huge  crevice,  open  at  both 
ends  and  extending  for  some  little  distance  parallel,  with  the  river. 
This  part  of  the  cave  was  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  Avidth  and 
perhaps  a  hundred  feet  long.  The  sides  of  the  crevice  came 
together  above  and  formed  a  roof  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  height. 
The  cave,  being  perfectly  sheltered  from  rain  and  storms,  w^as  very 
dry ;  and  the  floor  was  covered  to  the  depth  of  several  feet  with 
dust  and  various  debris,  consisting  of  pieces  of  stone,  bones  of 
animals,  ashes,  charred  sticks,  pieces  of  pottery,  with  some  human 
remains. 

In  the  days  of  the  early  white  settlers,  this  cavernous  place, 
which  was  partially  lighted  from  each  open  end,  was  the  resort,  in 
inclement  or  cold  weather,  for  the  domestic  animals  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. On  our  first  visit  to  the  place,  some  thirty  years  ago,  we 
had  first  to  dislodge  a  drove  of  cows,  sheep  and  hogs  which  invari- 
ably passed  the  night  here  during  the  winter  time.  At  one  time  a 
party  of  coopers  used  tlie  cavern  for  a  shop,  and  manufactured 
barrels  for  a  distillery  and  mill  in  the  village  near  by.     Later  on. 


i:r  THE  Mississippi  valley.  35 

some  iKJiuadic  families,  following  the  river,  made  it  tlieir  residence 
during  a  severe  winter.  Before  these  later  occupations,  however, 
we  had  opportunities  to  make  excavations  in  the  debris  on  the  floor 
of  the  place ;  and  it  could  be  very  plainly  seen  that  it  had  l)een 
occupied  by  the  aborigines  for  ages  before.  There  was  quite  an 
accumulation  of  ashes,  in  which  were  river  shells,  the  bones  of 
a  limals,  fishes,  turtles  and  birds,  mingled  with  broken  pottery, 
with  some  ornaments  and  stone  implements.  The  bones  of  the 
animals,  which  they  had  doubtless*  eaten,  were  generall}'  those  of 
deer.  There  were,  however,  some  remains  of  nearly  all  the  animals 
native  to  the  region,  except  the  bufi'alo. 

"VVe  consider  it  very  singular  that  in  all  our  explorations,  during 
a  period  of  more  than  thirty  years — during  which  we  have  not  only 
examined  many  caves  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  made  especial 
investigation  of  those  that  gave  indication  of  having  been  inhabited 
by  the  ancient  cave-dwellers,  but  also  dug  in  the  ancient  mounds 
and  especially  in  the  kitchen-middens,  or  refuse  of  their  repasts,  so 
common  in  connection  with  the  groups  of  large  mounds, — although 
carefully  observing  every  piece  of  bone,  to  study  the  habits  and 
customs  of  these  ancient  people,  we  have  been  able  as  yet  to  iind 
only  in  one  instance  any  remains  of  the  buffalo  in  connection  Avith 
the  remains  of  the  ancient  people  of  this  country. 

One  would  naturally  suppose  that  in  the  manufacture  of  their 
various  tools  they  would  certainly  have  utilized  the  strong  limb 
bones  of  the  buffalo,  as  they  did  those  of  tlie  elk,  deer  and  other 
animals.  In  the  caves,  as  well  as  in  the  mounds  and  about  the 
dwelling-places  of  these  mysterious  people,  we  find  great  numbers 
of  implements  of  bone,  but  never  yet  a  single  one  made  from  the 
bone  of  the  buffalo.  In  a  very  large  mound,  square  in  shape,  three 
hundred  feet  on  each  side  and  thirty  feet  high,  through  which  the 
railroads  pass  in  the  American  Bottom  at  Mitchel,  in  Madison  Co., 
Ills.,  there  was  found,  in  contact  with  a  number  of  copper  imple- 
ments and  ornaments,  a  number  of  the  teeth  of  the  buffalo.  These 
we  have  in  our  possession.  They  are  stained  with  the  oxide  of  cop- 
per, and  perfectly  j)reserved.  They  had  most  ^jrobably  been  worn 
as  ornaments,  by  some  old  Mound-Builder  of  great  distinction, 
whose  dress  must  have  been  nearly  covered  with  beautiful  orna- 
ments of  copper,  and  Miiose  magnificent  weapons  of  flint  Avould 
have  compared  with  those  of  any  ago  ;  for  from  his  axe  and  spear,  as 
well  as  his  arrows,  the  marks  of  the  chipping  had  been  entirely  ef- 


36 


KECOEDS  OF  ANCIENT  EACES 


faced  by  grinding  or  rubbing,  and  tliey  were  as  smoothly  polished  as 
any  ivory  worked  in  these  modern  days. 

Why  the  Monnd-Builders  did  not  utilize  the  bones  or  horns  of 
the  buffalo  is  3'et  to  be  explained.     Some  ethnologists   have  argued 

til  at  during  the  time  of  the 
Mound-Builders  there  were 
no  buiialoes  in  the  Missis- 
sipiji  Valley.  It  is  now 
iliought  b}"  some  zoologists 
that  the  rarge  of  the  buffalo 
was  not  near  so  extensive 
at  the  time  of  the  discovery 
of  this  countr}"  by  Colum- 
bus, as  it  became  in  3'ears 
after.  There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  at  the  lime  of 
the  explorations  of  the  J(,'- 
suits,  beginning  about  1673, 
the  buffalo  had  not  long 
been  an  inhabitant  of  the 
continent  so  far  east  as 
Illinois ;  and  the  farthest 
eastern  extension  of  their 
range,  about  the  Alleghany 
mountains,  occurred  after 
this  time.  The  buffalo  quite 
probably  never  was  to  be 
seen  on  the  east  Atlantic 
coast. 

At  the  lower  end  of  the 
great  cave- shelter  we  have 
described,  at  Grafton,  was 
the  entrance  to  a  lateral 
opening  that  went  at  right 
angles  directly  into  the  bluff. 
Tliis  is  connected  with  the 
bone-cave.  We  give  an  illustration  of  the  entrance,  showing  the 
situation  of  the  mouth,  with  one  of  the  circular  hieroglyphs,  orpicto- 
o-raphs,  on  a  ledge  of  rock  above  the  opening.  On  the  top  of  the 
bluTis  P(^en  or.o  of  the  ancient  mounds  so  common  in  this  regior:. 


k 


IN  THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  37 

Below  the  entrance  to  the  cave  is  shown  some  of  the  debris  of  loose 
rocks;  and  still  further  down,  the  shore  of  the  Mississippi,  which  in 
very  high  water  ap])roaches  near  but  has  never  been  known  to  rise 
so  high,  by  several  feet,  as  to  enter  the  cavern.  The  triangular- 
shaped  opening  to  this  part  of  the  cavern  gave  a  somewhat  difficult 
access  to  an  inner  diamber,  not  so  large  as  the  outer  part  we  have 
described.  The  floor  of  this  second  chamber  is  also  covered  with 
dust,  and  an  accumulation  of  bones,  pottery,  ornaments  and  stone 
implements,  like  the  outer  cave.  The  first  white  settlers  say  that  in 
their  early  occupation  of  the  region  many  human  bones  could  be 
seen  in  the  inner  cavern.  In  our  excavations  we  found  a  great 
number  of  bones,  some  of  which  had  been  those  of  human  beings. 
Most  of  these,  like  the  bones  of  the  animals,  had  been  broken  ;■ 
giving  one  an  impression  of  cannibalism.  Some  of  the  human 
bones,  however,  were  whole,  and  we  obtained  one  nearly  perfect 
skull. 

Amons:  the  ornaments  we  found  several  beads  of  a  cylindrical 
shape.  These  were  perforated,  and  nearly  as  large  around  as  one's 
little  finger,  and  an  inch  long.  They  were  made,  quite  apparently, 
of  the  stalagmitic  secretions  of  the  cavern.  ThelaminjB  of  secretion 
gave  the  light  and  dark  lines,  and  they  were  smooth  and  pretty 
ornaments.  There  were  some  other  ornaments  of  stalactite  ;  and  it 
occurred  to  us  that  it  was  quite  natural  that  this  pretty  product  of 
caverns  should  have  suggested  itself  to  the  cave-men  and  women 
as  capable  of  furnishing  adornments  for  their  persons.  The  num- 
ber of  caverns  and  cave-shelters  beneath  projecting  ledges  and 
overhanging  cliff's  is  very  greiit,  and  but  little  known  except  to 
those  who  search  for  them.  The  evidence  seems  to  be  that,  in 
America  as  well  as  Europe,  there  were  primitive  cave-dwellers,  who, 
having  no  habitations  of  their  own  construction,  sought  those  pro- 
vided by  natuie.  These  were  without  doubt,  the  first  habitations 
known  to  mankind.  It  is  also  quite  plainly  shown  by  the  evidence 
that  the  localities  once  inhabited  by  primitive  peoj)le  have  been 
successively  occupied  by  others  more  advanced,  who  have  come  so 
far  out  from  the  j^ale  of  savage  life  as  to  feel  the  need  of  govern- 
ment and  laws  and  religion,and  to  possess  something  of  the  primitive 
arts.  Such  a  people  were  the  builders  of  the  great  Caliokia 
mounds,  and  the  earthworks  of  Ohio ;  and  such,  probably,  were  the 
makers  of  the  pictographs  we  are  so  carefully  endeavoring  to  pre- 
serve as  the  only  records  left.  0:ir  patient  working  may  sometime 
be  rewarded  with  a  clew. 


38  RECORDS    OF   ANCIEXT   RACES 

We  never  approached  this  cavern  at  Grafton — and  we  visited  it 
otten,  for  we  lived  for  j^ears  not  far  away, — but  that  the  great  crim- 
son circle  on  the  rock  above  the  entrance  seemed  to  look  down  on  us 
like  the  blazing  eye  of  a  manitou — a  veritable  guardian  of  the  secrets 
of  ages. 

"We  have  sought  in  vain  in  the  caverns  for  some  indication  of  the 
age  of  the  remains.  Beyond  two  or  three,  or  perhaps  four  hundred 
years,  as  shown  by  living  trees  and  the  remains  of  others,  there  are 
no  actual  data  say  beyond  five  hundred  years.  Many  of  the 
caverns  exhibit  about  the  floor,  as  well  as  on  the  sides  and  about 
the  roof,  secretions  of  stalagmite  and  stalactite.  But  these  secre- 
tions seem  to  have  been  mostly  made  during  the  early  history  of 
the  caverns,  and  go  on  but  very  slowly  at  present.  In  many  in- 
stances they  have  entirely  ceased.  Nearly  all  the  caves  that  have 
been  inhabited  are  dry,  and  the  floor  has  been  for  ages  covered  with 
dust,  perhaps  even  before  man  entered  them  at  all. 

The  rocks  in  which  the  cave  at  Grafton  is  found  are  of  the  Upper 
Silurian  age,  known  as  Niagara,  and  are  filled  with  trilobites,  those 
curious  multichambered  orthoseras,  and  many  corals.  These  fos- 
sils can  be  seen  in  the  ledges  in  and  about  the  cavern,  and  Avithout 
doubt  attracted  the  attention  of  the  cave-dwellers  as  well  as  the  later 
Mound-Builders ;  for  on  more  than  one  occasion  we  have  found  orn- 
aments made  from  them,  about  the  caves  as  well  as  in  the  mounds. 
One  of  the  most  beautiful  Mound-Builder  ornaments  we  have  seen 
is  one  of  those  taken  from  a  mound  on  the  bluff*  just  below  the 
bone-cavern.  It  is  what  is  known  as  a  badge  or  ceremonial  stone, 
shaped  somewhat  like  a  double-edged  axe,  with  a  perforation  as  if 
for  a  handle.  The  edges  are  not  sharp,*  and  are  wider  than  the  })er- 
forated  middle.  It  had  T)een  wrought  out  with  great  care,  was 
highly  polished,  and  made  from  a  fossil  zoophite  coral.  The  white 
cells  of  the  coral,  like  those  of  the  bee's  honey-comb,  were  filled 
with  a  very  dark  stony  matter,  which  in  the  polished  ornament 
showed  very  prettily ;  and  no  doubt  the  handsome  totem  was 
highly  prized  by  its  aboriginal  owner. 

Some  of  the  ancient  mounds  on  the  bluff*  over  the  cave  at  Grafton, 
one  being  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in  height,  have  liad  excavations  nuide 
into  them,  and  have  yielded  a  number  of  interesting  relics.  Some 
have  not  been  explored  at  all,  and  nearly  all  of  them  remain  as  they 
originally  were  when  first  seen  by  the  white  settlers. 

The  mound  shown  in  the  engraving  as  being  immediately  over  the 


IN  THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  39 

caverii  has  been  excavated  away,  with  a  part  of  the  bluff,  in  the 
operations  of  a  stone-quarry  ;  and  that  part  of  the  cliff  which  a  few 
years  ago  was  adorned  with  the  great  red  hieroglyphic  eye,  and  the 
cavern's  mouth  below,  was  taken  away  to  build  the  Lindell  and 
Southern  hotels,  those  prided  caravansaries  of  the  City  of  St.  Louis. 
It  is  said  that  the  very  stone  that  has  this  Indian  manitou,  as  the 
early  Jesuits  called  it,  was  built  into  the  walls  of  the  Lindell.  For 
this,  of  course,  we  cannot  vouch. 

One  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Grafton  is  the  Hon. 
Wm.  H.  Allen,  who  tells  us  that,  in  the  early  history  of  the  settle- 
ment, parties  of  Lidians,  in  ascending  or  descending  the  Mississippi, 
would  camp  at  the  spring  near  by,  and  would  sometimes  ascend 
the  bluff  to  utter  a   sort    of    mournful   chant.     The    tops  of    the 
bluffs  in  this  region  seemed  to  have   been  common  burial  places  for 
the  later  Indians ;  and  tliey  sometimes  brought  their  dead  from  a 
distance  in  canoes  to  inter  them  on  the  bluffs.     Not  in  the  mounds, 
which  they  were  not  known  to  disturb  in  any  way,  but  simply  cov- 
ering up  the  dead  bodies  in  shallow  graves  scooped  out  along  the 
top  of  the  ridge.     These  Indians  seemed  to  have  some  sort  of  rever- 
ence for  the  mounds,  but  the  most  diligent  inquiry  could  elicit  no 
information    from  them    as  to    their  history    or  uses.     From    the 
same  excellent  authority  we  have  it  that  having  enticed  parties  of 
Indians,  members  of  several  different  tribes,  to  the  bone-cavern,  and 
pointed  out  to  them  the  hieroglyphic  painting,  they  seemed  to  look  at 
it  with  an  expression  of  curiosity  and  reverence  ;  but  no  information 
of  any  kind  could  be  obtained  from  them  on  the  subject,  except  that 
such  things  were  common,  to  be  seen  throughout  the  country.     The 
Indians  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  enter  the  cavern  ;  and  it  seems 
to   be   an   established  fact,   gathered  from   the   whites   who    were 
brouo-ht  directly  in  contact  with   various  tribes  of  the  country,  that 
there  was  among  them  a  general  antipathy  against  entering  caves  or 
subterranean  places. 

Mr.  Allen  has  taken  intelligent  interest  in  these  matters.  One  day 
when,  in  his  company,  we  had  been  excavating  in  the  cavern  and 
stood  on  the  outside,  looking  at  the  pictograph  on  the  wall,  he 
explained  to  us  that  on  certain  days  when  the  atmosphere  was  full 
of  moisture,  or  after  a  very  wet  period,  the  figure  on  the  rock  could 
be  seen  much  plainer;  and  he  assured  me  that  the  same  was  the 
case  with  the  picture,  with  which  he  was  familiar,  of  the  Piasa  on 
the  bluff  at  Alton.     We  afterwards  observed  that  this  was  true  of 


40 


RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 


the  series  of  pictographs  which  we  figure  on  page  22,  and  Which 
are  on  the  Mnff  between  Alton  and  Grafton.  Some  days  these 
could  be  seen  as  one  passed  along  the  river,  when  no  leaves  were  on 
the  trees ;  at  other  times  they  were  hardly  discernable  at  that  dis- 
tance. From  what  we  have  learned  of  the  great  pictograph  at 
Alton,  we  are  satisfied  that  this  atmospheric  eflfect  has  been  the 
cause,  in  part,  of  the  diflferences  in  the  descriptions  of  various 
observers,  from  the  time  of  Marquette.  An  old  citizen,  born  and 
reared  almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  blutf  on  which  the  picture  of 
the  Piasa  was,  tells  me  that  "sometimes  3^ou  could  see  its  wings  and 
sometimes  you  couldn't."'  And  it  is  firmly  believed  by  these 
pioneers  that  the  wings,  dimly  seen  at  first,  were  the  first  parts  of 
the  picture  to  disappear  from  age. 


Sphynx  Pipe  of  Rod  Catlinite,  found  in  a  Mound  on  Piasa  Creek,  Macoupin  Co.,  lib.,  size  8x8  inches. — See  page  46. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Another  Pictured  Cavern  below  Gkapton.— Aboriginal  Remains  found 
ABOUT  IT.— Singular  Pipe  op  Stone  from  Mound  on  the  Bluff.— De- 
scription AND  Illustration.— The  singular  Manna  Pipes.— Other  Caves 
in  the  Vicinity. -riCTOGiiAPHS  in  a  Cave  near  the  Mouth  op  the  Ohio 
River.— Description  op  the  Cave.— The  curious  Figures  Engraved  upon 
the  Walls.— Illustration  oe  the  Pictographs.— To  be  Regretted  that 
THE  Early  Writers  did  not  Illustrate  instead  op  Describing  what  they 
SAW.— Xo  Illustrations  in  early  works  on  Ethnology.— The  Lttle  Value 
OP  Opinions— New  Collectors  quite  apt  to  have  Many  Theories.— 
Amusing  Theory  as  to  why  the  Mastodon  was  Created. 

short  distance  below  Grafton,  and  at  the   mouth  of  a  hollow 

just  above   the   Piasa   Assembly   Grounds,  is  another   small 

cavern,  in  which  is  dimly  seen  a  small  pictured  circle,-  somewhat  like 
that  over  the  bone-cavern  at  Grafton.  From  this  little  cavern  a 
number  of  stone  implements  have  been  recovered ;  and  the  little  held 
in  the  mouth  of  the  holloAV  is  literally  filled  with  the  refuse  of 
aboriginal  dwelling-places.  Every  rain  washes  out  their  stone 
implements.  "We  have  in  onr  collection  a  most  beautiful  stone  pipe 
that  was  taken  from  a  mound  standing  on  the  heights  overlook- 
ing the  Piasa  Assembly  grounds.  This  pipe  is  one  of  those  wkh  a 
curved  base.  Stretched  out  on  the  base  is  the  repivsontation  of  the 
body  of  a  lizard,  or  some  saurian,  with  its  long  tail  bent  around  by 
the  side  of  its  body.  The  bowl  of  the  pipe  is  in  the  back  of  the 
reptile,  and  the  stem  for  insertion  in  the  mouth  of  the  smoker  is  a 
part  of  the  base  on  which  the  reptile  sits.  The  whole  is  most  ex- 
q.uLsitely  carved  from  a  single  piece  of  red  stone. 

These  pipes  never  show  marks  of  teeth,  as  from  constant  usage, 
and  were  perhaps  not  used  for  the  narcotic  influence  of  tobacco,  but, 
we  think  simply  to  make  a  smoke  as  an  offering  to  their  Sun-God. 
They  are  noc  uncommon  in  the  mounds,  and  are  very  unlike  any- 
thing the  modern  Indian  has  been  known  to  make.  They  are 
artistic,  and  it  is  said  that  almost  every  known  animal  and  bird 
in  the  country  has  been  fonnd  represented  on  these  beautiful  pipes. 
There  are  other  small  caves  in  this  vicinity  that  show  evidence  of 
having  been  occupied  in  early  times ;  and  there  are  places  on  the 
rocky  bluff  that  still  show  some  remains  of  solitary  specimens  of 
ancient  painted  or  carved  symbols  such  as  we  have  described. 


42  RECORDS  OF  ANCIENT  RACES 

Priest,  in  liis  "  American  Antiquities,"  speaks  of  a  cavern  on  the 
Ohio  river  that  contains  a  number  of  hieroglyphic  carvings.  Sev- 
eral later  writers  refer  to  the  same  cave.  Priest,  in  his  description  of 
this  cavern  i  says :  '•  On  the  Ohio,  twenty  miles  below  the  mouth  of 
the  "Wabash,  is  a  cavern,  in  which  are  found  many  hieroglyphics 
and  representations  of  such  delineations  as  would  induce  the  belief 
that  their  authors  were  indeed  comparatively  civilized  and  refined. 

•'It  is  a  cave  in  the  rock,  which  presents  itself  to  view  a  little 
above  the  water  of  the  river  when  in  flood,  and  is  situated  close  to 
the  bank.  This  cavern  measures  about  twelve  rods  in  length  and 
five  in  width.  Its  entrance  presents  a  width  of  eighty  feet  at  its  base, 
and  twenty -five  feet  high.  The  interior  walls  are  smooth  rock.  The 
floor  is  very  remarkable,  being  level  throughout  the  whole  length  of 
the  centre,  the  sides  rising  in  stony  grades,  in  the  manner  of  seats 
in  the  pit  of  a  theatre.  On  a  diligent  scrutiny  of  the  walls,  it  is 
plainly  discernable  that  the  ancient  inhabitants,  at  a  very  remote 
period,  had  made  use  of  the  place  as  a  house  of  deliberation  and 
council.  The  walls  bear  many  hieroglyphics,  well  executed  ;  and 
some  of  them  represent  animals  which  hav^  no  resemblance  to  any 
now  known  to  natural  history.  There  are  found  engraved,  1st,  the 
san  in  different  stages  of  declension ;  the  moon  under  various 
phases  ;  a  snake  biting  its  tail  represents  an  orb  or  circle  ;  a  viper  ; 
a  vulture  ;  lizards  tearing  out  the  heart  of  a  prostrate  man  ;  a  pan- 
ther held  by  the  ears  by  a  child ;  a  crocodile  ;  several  trees  and 
shrubs;  a  fox  ;  a  curious  kind  of  hydra  serpent ;  two  doves  ;  several 
bears  ,  two  scorpions  ;  an  eagle  ;  an  owl ;  some  quails  ;  eight  repre- 
sentations of  animals  which  are  now  unknown.  Three  out  cf  the 
eight  are  like  the  elephant,  except  the  tusks  and  tail;  two  more 
resemble  the  tiger  ;  one  a  wild  boar  ;  another  a  sloth  ;  and  the  last 
appears  a  creature  of  fancy,  being  a  quadrumane  instead  of  a  quad- 
ruped, the  claws  being  alike  before  and  behind,  and  in  the  act  of 
conveying  something  to  its  mouth,  which  lay  in  the  centre  of  the 
monster.  Beside  these  there  were  representations  of  men  and 
women ;  not  naked,  but  clothed  in  somewhat  like  the  costumes  of 
G-reece  or  Rome. " 

What  this  author,  somewhat  given  to  exaggeration,  did  see  depicted 
on  the  walls  of  this  cavern,  it  is  difficult  to  tell,  as  he  gives  no  illus- 
trations of  the  figures,  but  devotes  a  great  deal  of  time  and  space  to 

1  "American  Aiaiquities,"  p.  138. 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  43 

explaining  what  tlie  ligures  all  mean.  Several  writers,  however, 
reler  to  them  ;  and  Pidgeon,  in  his  "  Traditions  of  Dacoodah,"  after 
describing  the  same  locality,  gives  a  cnt,  which  he  says  shows  all  of 
the  figures  which  could  be  clearly  made  out.  We  reproduce  this 
illustration. 


Sculptures  in  Cave  on  the  Ohio  River. 


After  describing  the  cavern,  his  description  differing  little  from 
that  of  Priest,  he  says :  "A  large  portion  of  the  side  walls  being 
smooth  and  even,  are  covered  with  singular  paintings  and  figures 
cut  in  the  rock.  These  are  grouped  in  clusters  and  sections,  the 
arrangement  of  which  exhibits  evident  marks  of  design.  These 
paintings  are  much  defaced,  and  some  almost  obliterated.  But 
those  which  yet  remain  cannot  fail  to  be  regarded  as  highly  interest- 
ing and  important  relics  of  antiquity."  The  figures  of  the  sun  are 
cut  in  the  rock,  while  that  of  the  moon  is  painted.  The  serpent  in 
the  form  of  an  orb,  the  viper  attacking  a  scorpion,  a  tongueless 
crocodile,  the  double-headed  serpent,  and  the  seven  stars,  are  on  one 
side.  On  the  opposite  wall  is  the  figure  of  a  huge  monster,  similar 
to  some  of  the  tumular  effigies  in  Wisconsin.  There  are  many  other 
iigures  on  the  wall,  less  clearly  defined,  some  of  which  are  persons 
clad  in  ancient  dress. 


44  RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  many  of  the  early  writers  on  archaeology, 
v.-'io  had  opportunities  to  see  so  many  objects  of  interest,  should 
have  thought  it  necessary  only  to  explain  and  interpret  the  things 
they  saw,  rather  than  describe  them.  An  illustration  (jf  the  picto- 
«:i:raphs  in  this  cavern,  with  a  description  of  them  in  detail,  would 
have  been  one  fact  gained,  when  all  the  theories  in  regard  to  their 
m.eaning  might  amount  to  nothing,  but  have  a  tendency  to  start  the 
real  investigator  out  in  the  wrong  path.  Had  the  early  writers  on 
our  archaeology  but  deemed  it  to  have  been  their  duty  to  describe 
and  illustrate  the  many  things  they  saw,  this  collection  of  facts 
would  have  been  invaluable  to  us.  As  it  is,  the  ponderous  mass  of 
theory  has  so  covered  up  the  real,  that  the  whole  subject  some- 
times seems  to  belong  to  the  domain  of  myth. 

There  is  yet  to  be  written,  in  all  America,  a  single  work  like 
Evans'  '•^ Stone  Implements  of  Great  Britain,'''  that  simply  illustrates 
the  collections  of  Europe  and  describes  them,  with  notes  of  the 
surroundings,  and  connecting  circumstances  that  seem  to  be  more 
germain  to  matters  of  fact  than  long-winded  theories  of  the  author. 
One  of  our  first  efforts  as  a  writer  on  archaeological  subjects  was  to 
give  the  i)ublic  our  theory  in  regard  to  the  uses  of  those  singular 
relics  called  pendants,  or  plummets,  so  commonly  found  in  the 
West.  We  called  them  paint-stones,  because  all  we  had  seen  were 
made  of  hematite,  and  upon  rubbing  them  with  a  little  water  a  i-i^d 
paint  could  be  made;  and  these  pendants  were  carried  by  the* 
braves  in  case  they  wanted  to  put  on  their  war-paint  or  adorn  their 
persons.  This  was  thirty  years  ago,  when  we  had  seen  but  few  of 
these  relics.  Since  then  we  have  collected  hundreds  of  them,  made 
from  almost  all  kinds  of  rock  ;  not  only  of  hematite,  but  of  lime- 
stone, granite,  sandstone  and  even  of  jasper,  agate  and  the  clearest 
of  quartz.  Of  course  we  now  know  they  were  not  paint-stones; 
neither  do  we  know  to-day  why  they  were  made.  Our  experience 
is  that  new  collectors  are  quite  apt  to  be  full  of  theories. 

We  went  on  one  occasion  to  see  a  farmer  who  had  found  a  v'^yj 
large  tooth  of  a  mastodon ;  and  he  very  kindly  gave  us  the  start- 
ling information  that  he  had  found  why  these  huge  animals  had 
been  created ;  namely,  to  tramp  down  the  rough  surface  of  the  new 
earth  and  make  level  places  like  our  prairies.  Ilowevei-  honest  his 
belief  may  have  been,  his  imagination,  perhaps,  was  a  trille  strong 
to  have  made  a  successful  naturalist. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

pictographs  and  emblematic  designs  on  the  ancient  pottery  from  the 
Mounds. — Curious  Customs  in  Burying  the  Dead.— Objects  placed  in  the 
Grave.— Imalements  of  Stone  and  Copper.— How  they  were  Made.— 
Crowns  and  Head-Ornaments  of  Copper.— The  Crescent  of  Copper.— 
Head-Dress  of  Copper  with  Pearl  Ornaments  in  a  Mound  in  St.  Claiu 
Co.,  Ills.— The  curious  Frog-Shaped  Idol  Pipe.— The  Frog  with  a  Scep- 
tre IN  ITS  Right  Hand. — Sphinx-like  Images  resembling  those  op  Egypt. 
— Description  of  a  Sphinx  from  a  Mound  ox  the  Piasa  Cuekk.— Its 
Head-Dress. — Emblematic  Images  of  Stone  from  Mounds. — Comparison 
of  them  with  like  objects  in  the  Old  World. 

paving  given  a  number  of  illustrations  of  figures,  either  carved 
or  painted  on  the  rocks  by  some  people  in  the  past,  each  quice 
probably  the  result  of  an  effort  of  the  Mound-Builders  or  other  early 
inhabitants  of  this  country  to  record  some  event  or  epoch  in  their 
liistor}',  we  now  propose  to  show  a  number  of  somewhat  similar 
figures  found  on  the  ancient  pottery  and  other  objects  taken  from 
the  mounds.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  custom  among  some  of  the 
later  Mound-Builders,  in  the  interment  of  their  dead,  especially 
when  burying  a  person  of  note,  to  place  in  the  grave  the  ornaments 
of  the  departed,  together  with  his  badge-stone,  or  emblem  of  office, 
if  he  had  one,  and  his  pipe,  which  was  a  sort  of  personal  altar.  It 
is  seldom  that  the  Mound-Builder's  weapons  are  found  in  the  grave, 
except,  perhaps,  when  he  possessed  a  copper  axe,  or  an  unusually 
nice  one  of  stone,  upon  which  a  very  great  amount  of  labor  had 
been  expended,  and  whicli  was  perhaps  more  for  ornament  than 
actual  iise. 

Some  of  these  copper  ornaments  are  made  with  considerable 
skill ;  and  some — the  large  plates  worn  on  the  breast — were  doubtless 
very  bright  and  imposing.  In  three  different  mounds,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Illinois  river,  we  found  head-ornaments  of  copper,  which 
were  crescent-shaped,  the  ends  coming  around  behind  the  ears 
while  the  centre  of  Hie  crescent,  three  or  four  inches  wide,  was  over 
the  brows.  In  a  mound  on  the  bluff  opposite  East  St.  Louis  we 
found  another  of  these  Mound-Builder's  crown- like  head-dresses  of 
copper,  that  had  been  ornamented  with  pearls  and  pretty  fio-ures 
from  pearl  shell.  This  last  old  Mound-Builder  had  in  the  orave 
with  him  his  altar-pipe,  or  smoke-maker,  made  from  a  beautiful 
red  stone,  and  representing  a  huge  bullfrog,  which  held  in  its  rioiit 


46  EECORDS   OF   AiSTCIElSTT   RACES 

fore-foot  or  hand  a  curious  sort  of  mace,  or  sceptre-like  liandle, 
surmounted  at  its  upper  end  with  a  ball  or  globe.  The  base  on 
which  the  figure  sits  is  a  parallelogram — and  the  whole  has  a  sj^hinx- 
like  appearance.  It  is  a  fine  piece  of  stone  carving,  and  weighs  in 
the  neighborhood  of  ten  pounds.  In  the  back  of  the  image  is  a 
funnel-shaped  opening,  the  smaller  end  of  which  connects  with  a 
similar  aperture,  like  the  bowl  of  a  pipe,  from  behind.  ^ 

We  have  another  of  these  sphinx-like  images  (of  which  we  have 
found  quite  a  number),  in  which  there  is  represented,  on  the  heavy 

base,  the  kneeling  or 
rather  the  crouched  hu- 
man form.  While  the 
head  is  erect,  the  upper 
part  of  the  body  is  bent 
forward,  with  the  fore- 
Pipe  i,on.  Mound  at  G,aftcn._See  page  4..  ^^^^  ^^  ^^10    kueeS  ;    aud 

the  feet  protrude  from  beneath  the  buttocks  on  the  base.  The  right 
hand  of  this  figure  also  holds  one  of  the  sceptres,  or  mace  like 
handles,  surmounted  by  a  ball  or  globe. 

The  face  of  this  figure  is  a  fine,  expressive  one,  and  the  head  is 
surmounted  with  a  covering,  as  though  of  some  fabric,  not  very 
unlike  some  of  the  head-dresses  shown  in  the  sculptures  exhumed 
by  Layard  from  the  ruins  of  Assyria.  It  is  a  sort  of  cap  of  folds, 
the  end  of  the  fold  forming  a  crest  or  knob  at  the  top.  This  pretty 
image,  which  we  have  figured  in  a  former  work,  -  is  considerably 
larger  than  the  frog- image  described  above;  is  of  the  same  red 
stone,  and  was  taken  from  a  mound  on  the  Piasa  creek,  a  few 
miles  from  Alton.  Like  nearly  all  these  mound  images,  it  has  the 
funnel-shaped  opening  in  the  back  connecting  with  a  simiLir  one 
fj'om  behind.  Like  the  preceding  image,  it  is  higlily  polished,  and 
as  a  work  of  art  has  certainly  no  small  degree  of  merit.  '^ 

That  these  images  of  stone  were  emblematic  in  character,  as  con- 
nected with  some  ceremonial  rites  of  the  makers,  there  can  be  but 
little  doubt.  All  the  mounds  from  which  the  relics  spoken  of  were 
taken  contained  pottery.  The  graven  image  of  the  sphinx-like 
human  form,  and  also  that  of  the  frog,  as  they  sat  in  the  burial 
place,  were  flanked  on  either  side  with  earthen  burial  vases  as 
elaborate,  we  will  say  more  elaborate  and  artistic,  than  any  taken 
by  Schliemann  from  the  tombs  of  Mycenae  or  Troy. 

J  See  page  26.        ~  Antiquities  of  Cahokia.        3  gee  page  46. 


C  PI  A  P  T  E  R    X  T  I. 

Till-:  MoUND-BuiIDKItS  CUSTOM  OF  PLACING  FoOD  IN  THE  GRAVES. — The  VESSELS 
PREPARED  FOR  THE  BUUIAL  SERVICE.— ThEIB  PECULIAR  SlIAPE. — TlIEIR  CA- 
PACITY AND  Manner  op  Manufacture.— Illustrations.— Peculiar  Compo- 
sition OF  THE  Burial  Vases.— No  Glazing  or  Potter's  Wheel.— Sojie  of 
THE  Finest  of  the  Cinerary  Urns  in  the  Graves  of  Children. — The 
Different  Types  of  Burial  Vases.— Those  Peculiarly  Decorated  with 
Representations  of  IIeds,  Animals  and  Persons  on  the  Rim— The 
Shapes  of  the  Human  Countenance. — No  Beard  Depicted. — A  Stone  Pipe 
with  a  Beard  Depicted. 

eNE  of  the  most  interesting  customs  of  the  Mound-Builders, 
and  quite  probably  of  other  early  inhabitants  of  the  southern 
and  middle  portions  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  was  the  placing  of 
earthen  vessels,  containing  food  and  water,  in  the  graves  of  their 
dead.  The  vessels  for  the  reception  of  the  food  were  of  various 
shapes.  Some  were  simple  shallow  dishes ;  others  like  deeper 
pans  ;  but  the  great  majority  were  shaped  with  taste  and  skill,  not 
only  in  the  form  of  ornamental  cups  and  bowls,  but  also  to  repre- 
sent birds,  beasts,  fishes,  and  almost  all  animated  nature  in  their 
vicinity,  together  with  the  human  forms. 

The  greater  number  of  these  burial  vases  are  shaped  like  large 
cups  or  bowls,  as  shown  on  the  following  pages.  Some  of  them  are 
of  a  capacity  to  hold  a  gallon,  and  are  dark  or  light  brown  in  color  • 
some  being  baked  or  burned  hard,  while  others  show  but  little  sign 
of  the  fire,  and  a  few  appear  to  be  simply  baked  or  dried  in  the 
sun.  The  material  of  which  they  are  all  composed  is  very  peculiar, 
being  a  composition  of  clay,  pounded  shells,  and  perhaps  some 
other  substances,  which  form  a  kind  of  cement ;  for  even  those  which 
seem  not  to  have  been  brought  in  contact  with  fire,  have  a  tenacity 
that  prevents  them  from  crumbling  in  water.  Some  of  them  are  so 
well  made  and  burned  that  they  are  not  easily  broken,  and  we  have 
utilized  some  of  the  larger  bowls  for  washing  purposes,  in  our 
camp  in  Southeast  Missouri,  for  weeks  at  a  time,  without  injury  to 
them.  There  is  no  attempt  at  glazing ;  neither  have  we  found  any 
evidence  that  would  indicate  a  knowledge  of  the  potter's  wheel. 

On  nearly  all  the  vessels  there  is  some  attempt  at  ornamentation  ; 
and  many  have  attached  to  their  rims  ears  or  lugs,  as  if  for  the  pur- 
pose of  suspension,  as  shown  on  page  50. 


Small  vessels  of  Pottery,  Stone  Pipe,  Stone  Implements  and  discoidai  Stone  from  N-w  Madrid.  Mo. 


IN  TiiK  Mississirrr  vallkv 


49 


Very  few,  if  tiny,  of  these  vessels  show  signs  of  use,  as  if  they  liad 
once  been  culinary  vessels ;  and,  among  thousands  which  we  have 
examined,  the  great  majority  of  them  seem  to  have  been  new  when 
placed  in  the  graves,  and  were  probably  made  for  the  purpose.  In 
fact,  the  great  care  taken  in  shaping  and  ornamenting  these  vessels 
reveals  that  under  the  impulse  of  affection,  love  and  grief  for  the  de- 
parted, among  his  surviving  friends,  no  labor  was  too  great,  and  the 
highest  skill  of  the  aboriginal  artist  was  drawn  upon,  for  the  occa- 
sion. Some  of  the  very  finest  of  these  cinerary  urns  are  in  the  graves 
of  children,  showing  how  the  affectionate  mother,  Avith  the  tender- 
est  care,  amid  her  tears,  shaped  and  carved  the  delicate  vases  for 
the  graves  of  her  darling. 


Ti    Mounds  in    lillno'; 


Another  type  of  these  food  vessels  fur  the  grave  is  ornamented 
on  the  rim  with  the  head  and  neck  of  some  bird  or  animal.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  vessel  is  an  extended  portion  of  the  rim, 
to  represent  the  tail.  Many  of  these  are  very  pretty,  and  show 
no  mean  order  of  talent  in  the  manipulation  of  the  potter's  clay. 


50 


KECOKDS  UF    ANCIENT  KACES 


It  is  said  that  in  a  collection  of  mound  vessels  of  this  type  neaiij^ 
every  species  of  duck,  common  to  the  Mississippi  Valley,  could  be 
recognized  by  the  peculiar  representation  of  the  duck's  head  on  the 
rim  of  some  burial  vase. 


Burial  Vases  with  Ornamental   Ears. 

Quite  a  number  of  this  type  of  wide-mouthed  bowls  are  decorat- 
ed with  representations  of  human  heads.  Many  of  these  human 
faces  are  roughly  made,  and  have  a  grotesque  appearance  ;  but  there 
is  an  occasional  one  showing  much  expression  of  countenance.  In 
the  illustration  on  page  52  the  large  upper  vessel  shows  a  good  strong 
face,  as  though  the  artist  had  attemj)ted  to  pattern  in  the  clay  some 
living  face  before  him.  But,  of  course,  we  have  no  means  of  know 
ing  the  fact.     We  have  seen  a  few  of  these  vases  in  which  the  whole 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY. 


ri 


human  head   and  face    was  given   in    tlie  shape    of  the  vessel,  the 
head  beiuo-  full  size. 


Bowls  with  Ornamental  Heads, 


No  beard  is  ever  depicted  ;  so  it  is  quite  probable  these  people 
were  like  our  red  Indians,  or  like  the  Chinese  and  other  nations, 
either  having  no  beard,  or  not  having  the  custom  of  w^earing  it ;  for 
it  is  well  known  that  among  our  Indians,  as  well  as  some  other  peo- 


52 


KPX'OKDS    OF    ANCIENT    liACES 


pies,  if  any  hair  appeared  upon  the  face,  it  was  plucked  out.  We 
have  ourselves  seen  our  North  American  Indians  plucking  strag- 
gling hairs  from  their  faces  ;  and  all  Indians  are  not  quite  beardless. 
We  have  a  stone  pipe,  from  a  mound  in  Missouri,  that  has  the 
representation  of  a  human  face  upon  it,  and  upcm  the  sides  of  the 
cheeks,  below  the  ears,  is  what  many  have  thought  to  be  a  beard 
depicted.  We  have  seen  the  beard  so  depicted  in  the  illustrations 
of  Layard's  "Ancient  jSTiueve]]." 


'■^ 


Bowlj  with   Hu:-nan   Heads. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


Burial  Vases  for  Holding  Watek.— Their  forms  like  those  of  Egypt.— Il- 
lustration of  Long-ISeckkd  FORMS.— Owl- Headp:d  Vases  like  those  from 
Trot.— Skills  of  the  Mounu-Builders  in  making  Pottery.— Lack  of  Orn- 
amented Pottery  in  European  Mounds.— The  superiority  of  American 
Relics.— Mound  Pottery.— The  Polished  Stone  Age  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley.— The  Human  Form  on  Burial  Vases.— Women  Represented. — 
Heads  of  Human  Figures  showing  He  ad-Dress.— Ear-rings  and  Head  Okn- 
aments.— No  Ikon  but  Meteoric- :Meteoric  Iron  held  sacked  by  the 
Mound- Builders,  like  the  Greeks.- Stone  Crystals  oftp:n  mistaken  for 
Glass  —Shape  and  Peculiarity  of  the  Hands  seen  on  the  Pottery.— 
The  Manner  of  Ornamenting  the  Burial  Vases.— A  Burial  Vase  from 
Cahokia  containing  the  Colors  and  Tools  for  Ornamenting. 

•TJTHE  water-vessels,  always  accompanying  tlie  food  vessels,  in  the 
taS  mounds,  are  very  peculiar,  and  some  of  the  types  have  a  strong 
resenvblance  to  the  water-vessels  of  Egypt.  The  following  is  a 
common  form  ;  and  hundreds  of  this  shape  are  to  be  seen  among  the 
collections  of  mound  potter}^  from 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  These 
are  of  a  capacity  to  hold  from  a  pint 
to  four  or  five  quarts  of  liquid. 

It  is  thought  that  our  Mound- 
Builders  perhap*S  used  unglazed 
vessels  of  this  form,  like  the  Egypt- 
ians, to  hang,  filled  with  water,  in 
the  wind,  that  it  might  cool  by 
evaporation,  but  we  only  know  that 
these  vessels  are  found  here  in  the 
graves,  and  were  undoubtedly  x)hiced 
there  with  liquid,  in  accordance  with* 
some  religious  idea,  to  benefit  the 
departed   in   some  journey  beyond  -• 

the  grave. 

In  our  explorations  we  have  found  a  number  of  these  vessels  of  a 
more  complicated  form,  like  the  following. 

It  is  quite  easy  to  see  that  from  making  useful  vessels  it  would 
be  natural  to  advance  to  the  oruamencal ;  3-et  it  is  a  little  singular 
that  the  ornamentation  in  almost  every  particular,  of  the  American 


54 


KECORDS    OF    AXCIEXT   RACER 


mound  pottery,  should  be  so  exactl}-  like  that  of  Egypt  and  the  East. 
The  owl-headed  vase  in  the  illustration  on  the   following  page  is 
almost  exactly  like  one  figured  by  Schliemann,  from  Troy. 

In  reference  to  the  superiority  of  tlie  skill  displayed  by  the 
Mound-Builders,  in  the  ceramic  arts,  to  the  corresponding  efforts  of 

ancient  Europe,  we  cannot  do  better  than 
quote  the  words  of  Dr.  Foster :  ^ 

"In  the  plastic  arts,  the*  Mound-Build- 
ers attained  a  perfection  far  in  advance 
of  any  samples  which  have  been  found 
characteristic  of  the  Stone  or  even  the 
Bronze  Age  of  Europe.  We  can  readily 
conceive  that  in  the  absence  of  any 
metallic  vessels,  pottery  would  be  em 
ployed  as  a  substitute,  and  the  potter's 
art  would  be  held  in  the  highest  esteem." 
From  useful  forms  they  advanced  to 
ornamental.  Sir  John  Lubbock  remarks 
that  "few  of  the  British  sepulchral  urns, 
:.  belonging  to  ante-Roman  times,  have  any 

curved  lines.  Representations  of  animals  and  plants  are  almost 
entirely  wanting.  They  are  even  absent  from  all  the  articles  be- 
longing to  the  Bronze  Age  in  Switzerland,  and  I  might  say  in 
Western  Europe  generally."  But  they  were  common  in  Greece  and 
Egypt,  and  the  East,  as  also  in  the  Mississippi  Vall?y. 

We  believe  it  would  hardly  be  possible,  in  all  Europe,  to  get 
together  as  line  a  collection  of  implements  of  the  Stone  Age  as  we 
have  made  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Nor  do  we  believe  there  is 
a  collection  of  pottery,  of  the  Stone  Age  of  Europe,  that  can  vie  with 
ours  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  of  the  same  age. 

This  valley  had  even  a  superior  Polished  Stone  Age,  not  only  in 
objects  made  of  granite  and  other  primary  rocks,  but  of  polished 
Hint  or  chert ;  and  some  of  the  most  beautiful  objects  of  the  Stone 
Age  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  are  those  of  white  chert  or  flint,  in 
which  the  marks  of  the  chipping  are  completely  ground  off  and  the 
surface  is  smooth  and  polished.  Axes  and  celts  of  this  kind,  in  our 
collection,  are  far  superior  to  any  shown  in  Evans'  "  Stone  Imple- 
ments of  Great  Britain."   And  if  our  stone  imx)lements  are  superior, 


"Prehistoric  Races  of  the  United  States,"  p.  236. 


Varieties  of  Drinking  Vessels  from  Southeast  Missour:      a  a 


nd  b  Front  and  Back  View  o*  same  Vessel      '  SmaM  Bottle  and  StopDer, 


50 


KECOKDS    OF    ANCIENT    KACES 


oiiv    mound    pottery,   in   artistic    design,   is  certainly  al)ove   that 
of  Europe  during  tlie   same  age. 

But  wlnle  there  are  some  good  faces  shown  on  some  of  the  human 
heads  adorning  the  mound  potter}^,  the  correct  representation  of  the 
human  body,  except  in  a  few  instances,  is  not  attempted  ;  the  human 
form  not  being  of  a  shape  to  conveniently  adapt  it  for  the  base  of  the 
vessels.  We  have  found  specimens,  however,  in  which  a  person 
Avas  represented  as  lying  jDrone  on  his  back,  with  the  neck  of  the 
vessel  extending  up  from  the  stomach.  The  common  manner  of  rep- 
resenting the  body  of  a  man  or  woman  is  shown  in  the  two  lower 
figures  in  the  cut  on  this  page. 

Sometimes  the  base  of  the  vessel  stood 
on  three  hollow  legs,  as  seen  in  the  upper 
right-hand  figure.  Those  vessels  sur- 
mounted with  the  head  of  an  owl,  whirh 
are  common,  are  generally  of  the  shape 
shown  in  the  left-hand  upper  figure. 

In  all  the  vessels  surmounted  by  a 
head,  the  opening  for  the  introduction 
and  pouring  out  of  liquid  is  on  the  side 
and  not  directly  on  top. 

A  woman  is  sometimes  represented  as 
carrying  a  child  slung  on  her  back,  and 
men  and  women  in  various  attitudes  ;  b;ir 
it  is  rare  to  find  an  obscene  representation 
Many  of  the  heads  of  the  human 
figures  show  the  representation  of  a 
head-dress,  and  the  manner  of  wearing  the  hair;  and  some 
show  the  ear-rings  in  the  ears.  These  ear-rings  were  peculiar,  being 
something  like  a  spool,  or  more  like  a  very  large  sleeve-button,  and 
were  made  to  button  in  a  slit  in  the  lobe  of  the  ear.  We  have  found 
them,  of  the  most  elaborate  workmanship,  in  the  mounds.  Some 
were  of  copper,  but  more  commonly  of  bone  covered  with  cop])er, 
and  they  were  sometimes  of  wood,  neatly  covered  with  a  thin  sht^et 
of  copper. 

Beautiful  ornaments  are  sometimes  found,  made  of  meteoric  iron  ; 
and  they,  like  the  ancient  Greeks,  held  this  substance  in  great  I'ev- 
erence.  The  fact  that  they  had  this  meteoric  iron  has  led  many  of 
the  early  investigators  of  our  mounds  into  the  most  grievous  eiToi-s. 
and  induced  many  to  believe  that  the  remains  of  swords  and  other 
articles  of  European  manufacture  of  iron  had  been  found.     We  fell 


Fig.  5. 


IN    THE    MISSISSIPPI    VALLKY.  57 

into  this  error  once  ourselves,  upon  finding  among  the  treasures  by 
the  side  of  the  remains  of  a  chieftain  in  a  large  nioimd  ii  small  piece 
of  iron ;  soft,  malleable  iron !  The  foundation  of  a  theory  built 
upon  the  iron  melted  quite  away  when  it  was  shown  that  it  was 
meteoric.  Had  the  Mound-Builders  won  '^  a  prize  from  heaven,  " 
like  Homer's  Grecian  hero,  who  won  the  lump  of  iron  in  the  games  at 
the  funeral  of  Patroclus  ?  At  another  time,  in  one  of  the  prettiest  of 
ornamented  vases  from  a  mound  in  St.  Charles,  Mo.,  we  found 
some  glass  beads,  and  we  speculated  for  many  days  :  How  did  they 
come  by  glass,  who  did  not  even  know  how  to  melt  lead.  One  of 
these  glass  beads  fell  one  day  and  was  broken,  and  we  at  once  dis- 
covered that  it  was  "fluor  spar"  and  not  glass  at  all.  At  another 
time  we  received  a  beautifal  gorget  of  glass ;  glass,  everyone  said 
to  whom  it  was  shown;  yet  upon  ourselves  prosecuting  further 
search  in  the  same  mound,  we  found  other  similar  objects,  together 
with  several  of  the  large  quartz  crystals  of  which  they  were  made. 

As  the  human  heads  on  some  of  the  pretty  mound  vases  reveal 
something  of  their  mode  of  dressing  the  hair,  and  of  the  head 
coverings,  so  also  do  we  see  the  size,  shape  and  peculiarities  of  the 
hands,  even  to  the  finger-nails,  on  the  surface  of  some  of  the  unfinished 
specimens  of  the  mound  pottery.  Their  customs  are  shown,  and  as 
will  be  seen,  quite  possibly  some  of  the  symbolic  devices  referring  to 
their  religion. 

In  excavating  near  the  base  of  the  great  temple  mound  of  Cahokia, 
whose  towering  height  of  over  one  hundred  feet  gave  a  grateful 
shade  for  our  labors,  we  found  in  a  crumbling  tomb  of  earth  and 
stone  a  great  number  of  burial  vases,  over  one  hundred  of  which 
were  quite  perfect.  It  was  a  most  singular  collection,  as  if  the  Mound- 
Builder,  with  patient  and  skillful  hand,  united  with  artistic  taste 
in  shaping  the  vessels,  had  endeavored  to  make  a  representation 
of  the  natural  history  of  the  country  in  ceramics.  Some  of  these 
were  painted,  and  there  were  also  the  paint-pots  and  dishes  holding 
the  colors,  together  with  the  little  bone  paddle  for  mixing,  and 
other  implements  of  the  aboriginal  artist.  Some  of  these  are  figured 
in  our  "  Antiquities  of  Cahokia." 


CHAPTER     XIV 


PiCTOGRAPHS    AND    HIEROGLYPHIC     INSCRIPTIONS     ON    THE     POTTEUT.— A    BURIAL 

Vask  prom  a  Mound  on  the  Illinois  Kiver.— The  Shell  ISpoon.— Remains 
OF  THE  Food  in  the  Vessels. — Whole  Ears  of  Charred  Corn. — The 
Great  Number  op  these  Vases,  and  their  Curious  Evidence.— The 
Mound-Builder's  Religion  and  Belief  in  After  Life. — Similar  Customs 
in  Europe. — The  Figure  of  the  Cross  on  the  Vessels. — The  Cross  of 
the  Egyptians. — The  Cross  of  the  Chinese. — Its  Recurrence  common 
in  America. 

'E  have  found  a  number  of  pieces  of  tliis  mound  pottery,  on 
which  are  delineated,  either  by  incision  or  by  painting,  a 
variety  of  pictographs  or  hieroglyphic  inscriptions,  some  of  which  are 
similar  to  those  we  have  described  as  being  carved  or  painted  on 
the  rocky  bluffs  and  cavernous  places.-  If  we  connect  the  makers  of 
the  pictographs  on  the  rocks  with  the  makers  of  the  pottery  and  the 
builders  of  our  great  mounds,  then  there  is  an  important  beginning 
made  toward  a  collection  of  facts,  that,  if  followed  up,  may  be  the 
means  of  furnishing  some  data  for  the  unravelling  of  the  tangled  web 
of  our  aboriginal  history 

Below  we  give  an  illustration  of  one  of  these  burial  vases,  taken 
from  a  mound  upon  the  bluff  of  the  Illinois  River,  twenty -five 
miles  from  its  mouth.  The  vessel  has  a  capacity 
of  little  more  than  a  pint.  Like  much  of  the 
ancient  pottery  in  Europe,  Asia  and  America,  it 
has  no  fiat  base,  being  rounded  on  the  bottom. 
It  has  lugs  or  ears  on  the  outer  side  of  the  rim, 
as  if  for  suspension.  The  majority  of  vessels  of 
this  shape,  however,  have  four  of  these  ears,  and 
some  have  six.  Tliey  are  probably  more  for 
ornament  than  use,  for  we  have  broken  a  number 
of  them  off  in  simply  handling  them  after  they 
Were  taken  from  the  mound.  The  figures  on  the  vase  were  made 
with  some  pointed  implement  before  the  vessel  had  been  burned. 
The  ornamental  lines  about  the  rim  were  also  incisions.  After 
taking  this  pretty  vase  from  the  mound  where  it  lay,  with  the 
remains  of  a  human  skeleton,  in  a  rude  sort  of  vault  covered  with 
a  large  flat  stone,  we  seated  ourselves  under  the  shade  of  a  tree 
near  by  and  be<;an   carefully  to  take  from  it  the  earth  and  mold 


From  Mound  on  the  Illinois. 


IN    THE    MISSISSIPPI    VALLKY.  51> 

witli  which  it  was  filled.  At  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  we  found 
a  pretty  implement,  not  very  unlike  a  spoon  without  a  handle,  and 
made  from  the  pearly  inside  of  the  valve  of  a  large  river  shell, 
doubtless  a  unio.  This  pretty  spoon  was  some  four  inches  long 
and  a  little  more  than  half  as  wide.  After  having  been  cut  into 
shape,  with  rounded  edges,  it  had  been  made  very  smooth  and 
then  polished. 

It  is  very  common  to  find  these  spoons  of  shell  in  the  burial 
vases;  and  sometimes  we  have  found  in  the  mold,  and  with  the 
shell  in  the  bottom  of  the  vase,  a  piece  of  bone  of  animal,  or  bird, 
or  the  limb  of  a  turtle ;  and  in  several  instances  charred  grains  of 
corn.  In  one  large  vase  were  a  number  of  charred  corn-cobs,  so 
tliat  we  could  easily  tell  the  length  of  the  ear  of  corn  and  the  num- 
bc'r  of  rows  of  kernels  upon  it.  These  ears  had  been  seven  to  eight 
inches  or  more  in  length,  with  eight  rows  of  kernels,  the  rows  being 
in  pairs,  or  each  two  rows  of  the  kernels  being  close  together,  leav- 
ing four  wider  interstices  between  the  rows  on  the  cob.  In  another 
instance  we  found  a  whole  ear  of  corn,  charred,  with  the  grains 
ui)on  it.  During  our  thirty  years  labor  in  the  field  as  an  archaeol- 
ogist we  have  taken  more  than  a  thousand  of  these  burial  vases 
from  their  resting  places  in  the  earth,  and  we  fail  to  remember  a 
single  instance  when  we  did  not  enjoy  that  peculiar  pleasure  of 
expectation  as  we  carefully  explored  the  contents  of  each  old  vessel. 
What  history  would  we  find  ?  What  record  ?  No  matter  if  we 
have  labored  all  day  in  the  burning  sunlight,  under  many  incon- 
veniences, there  is  reward  in  our  anticipations.  The  contents  of  the 
v^essel  are  before  us ;  they  are  very  little,  yet  they  tell  a  story  of 
the  Mound-Builder's  customs.  He  had  a  religion — some  sort  of  a 
belief  concerning  an  after  life  ;  and  the  corn  and  the  meat  and  other 
food  had  been  placed  in  this  pretty  burial  vase,  made  for  the  pur- 
pose, that  the  spirit  of  the  departed  might  have  nourishment  while 
on  its  travels  from  the  grave  to  a  better  land.  We  have  wondered  if 
they  had  another  and  opposite  place  for  '•  bad"  Mound-Builders. 

Here  is  an  established  custom, — not  a  new  one,  however.  Our 
fore-fathers,  after  they  became  elevated  above  mere  savages,  per- 
haps even  after  the  Romans  had  pounded  some  civilization  into 
them  at  the  point  of  the  spear  and  the  sword,  buried  their  dead  in 
the  same  way.  It  is  common  throughout  Europe,  and  we  might  say 
all  over  the  rest  of  the  world,  that  when  a  very  ancient  grave  is 
opened,  there  are  the  earthen  vessels  that  contained  the  food  and 


60  RECORDS  OF  AXOIKNT  KACP:S 

drink  for  the  spirit  of  the  departed.  One  singular  fact  is  that  tliese 
American  burial  vases  are  even  more  elaborately  and  artistically 
made  than  those  of  Europe,  as  \vill  be  seen  from  our  illustrations. 

With  these  thoughts  occurring  to  us,  having  finished  the  examina- 
tion of  the  contents  of  the  vase  in  question,  and  carefully  cleaned  the 
soil  from  about  it,  we  then  examined  the  clean  and  neatly  cut  en- 
gravings and  ornaments  on  the  outer  side.  Are  they  simply  orna- 
mental, or  do  they  have  a  greater  meaning  ?  There,  repeated  several 
times,  is  the  cross  enclosed  in  the  circle.  In  Europe,  where  it  is 
ancient  and  common,  perhaps  it  would  be  called  a  Greek  cross.  But 
the  same  figure  is  seen  on  the  pyramids,  and  was  a  hieroglyph  in 
Egypt  some  thousands  of  years  ago.  In  fact,  according  to  Wilkin- 
son, a  figure  almost  exactly  like  the  enclosed  cross  on  this  burial 
vase  from  a  mound  on  the  Illinois  river,  makes  a  part  of  the  hiero- 
oglyphic  name  of  Egypt,  in  which  it  is  repeated  four  times.  ^  And 
the  same  reliable  author,  in  speaking  of  the  sacred  cakes  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  with  which  the  sacred  bulls,  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  their  god  Isis,  were  fed,  and  upon  which  there  was  made 
the  same  sign  of  the  cross,  says  :  "  The  cross-cake  was  their  hiero- 
glyph for  civilized  land.  " 

This  same  figure  of  a  divided  circle,  however,  occurs  in  the  alpha- 
bet, or  figurative  writing,  of  the  Chinese,  and  has  a  similar  siguili- 
cance,  being  their  emblem  for  land  or  country. /[TN The  explanation 
was  given  to  me,  by  a  most  intelligent  and\J^ educated  China- 
man, that  the  cross  in  the  circle  had  the  simple  meaning,  among  his 
people,  of  partition,  signifying  that  their  land  was  divided  into  lirlds, 
— in  other  words,  not  a  wild,  but  a  civilized  country. 

This  figure  of  an  enclosed  cross  occurs  many  times  in  the  valley  of 
the  Mississippi ;  and  we  have  seen  it  on  the  pottery,  not  only  out- 
lined by  incision,  but  painted  thereon  in  the  peculiar  mineral  colors 
used  by  the  Mound-Builders.  It  is  also  seen  in  the  carvings  on  the 
blufls  and  in  the  caverns,  as  well  as  among  the  painted  pictograplis. 
It  occurs  also  inscribed  on  the  ornaments  of  shell  and  other  material 
used  by  this  ancient  people  :  and  in  a  few  instances  we  have  seen 
the  same  symbol  on  their  implements  of  stone. 

We  may  remark,  here,  that  this  hieroglyphic  figure  or  emblem, 
common  among  the  Mound-Builders  and  the  more  ancient  of  our 
aboriginal  records,  seems  not  to  be  common    among  the  later  rude 

1  Sir  Giinlner  Wilkinson,  "  Ancient  Egyptians,"     vol.  1,'p.  244. 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY. 


m 


painted  inscriptions  of  the  more  modern  Indians  of  the  Upper  Mis- 
sissippi and  northern  parts  of  the  United  States. 

For  the  sake  of  comparison,  we  give  an  illustration  of  a  picto- 
graph  made  hy  some  of  the  later  Indians,  of  a  kind  not  uncommon 
in  the  Northwest. 


-^'f^ 


Pictographs  ca  Rocks,  by  Indians  of  the  Northwest. 


CHAPTER     XY. 


Mound  Vessels  witu  Painted  Symbols. — Other  Peculiar  Figures  of  the 
Cross.— Symbolic  Figures  of  the  Sun.— Similar  Figures  on  Vasi.s  in 
Egypt    and  Ancient  Troy.— Illustration  of  a  Vase   from    a   31issouri 

]!iIOUND   AND  A  VaSE    FROM    ThEBES,   EgYPT. — ThE    CUSTOMS    OF     THE    MOUND- 

Builders  influenced  by  Previous  History.— Thk  Points  of  Parallelism 
NOT  Accidental. — The  peculiar  Cross  with  the  Bent  Arms. — Schlie- 
mann  on  the  Emblematic  Crosses  found  in  Ancient  Troy. — The  Ancient 
Character  of  this  Cross.— Its  Origin.— An  Instrument  used  for  making 
Fire. — Origin  of  the  word  Cross  — How  the  Ancients  first  generated 
Fire. — The  Manner  in  which  the  Cross  became  a  Sacred  Emblem. 

OME  of  the  water  vases,  like  the  more  open  ones  for  containing 
food,  are  elaborately  painted  with  pigments  or  colored  clays, 
and  bear  inscriptions  that  we  believe,  as  before  remarked,  to  have  a 

greater  meaning  than  mere 
ornament.  One  of  these, 
of  the  more  common  form, 
the  globular  base  of  which 
is  surmounted  by  a  tall, 
slim  neck,  is  seen  in  the 
engraving  herewith.  This 
fine  specimen  of  ancient 
American  art  was  taken 
from  a  mound  on  the  bank 
of  the  great  river,  in  Mis- 
sissippi county,  Missouri. 
It  is  eight  inches  and  a 
half  high,  and  six  inches 
in  diameter  at  its  widest 
part.  It  is  made  of  a  pe- 
culiar composition  of  sed- 
imentary clay,  mixed  with 
linely-powdered  shells  and 
some  other  substances  not 
clearly  determined ;  a  mix- 
ture which  forms  the  ma- 
terial of  nearly  all  the 
mound  pottery  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi valley.  It  is  very 
symmetrical  in  form,  with 

Earthen   Vessel  with   Inscriptions  in  Colored  Clay,  «.    bottOm   JUSU    SUfficientlv 


IN   THE    MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY. 


63 


flattened  in  the  very  lowest  part  to  make  it  stand  on  a  level  surface 
without  falling  over. 

It  is,  however,  the  beautiful  and  artistic  decoration  of  this  inter- 
esting vessel  that  gives  it  its  special  value  to  the  student  of  archae- 
ology. On  the  bottom,  and  extending  one  and  a  half  inches  upward- 
the  color  is  a  deep  red ;  above  that  line  it  was  originally  painted  a 
very  light  color,  as  a  back-giound  for  decoration.  A  portion  of  the 
light  color,  which  was  nearly  white  in  some  places,  has  become 
stained  a  yellowish  cast. 


Figures  on  Vase. 


The  inscriptions  are  of  a  brilliant  red  color,  that,  in  spite  of  the 
antiquity  of  the  relics,  still  retains  its  hue  in  a  remarkable  manner. 

The  two  upper  figures  are  each  repeated  twice,  and  the  lower 
figures  each  four  times.  As  will  be  seen  from  the  cut,  the  figures  on 
this  vessel  very  much  resemble  some  of  those  among  the  carvings 
and  paintings  on  the  rocks.  They  are  in  fact  common  pictographic 
figures,  found  all  through  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  not  only  on 
the  rocks,  but  on  the  burial  vases  from  the  mounds,  as  well  as  on 
other  objects  made  by  this  ancient  people. 

The  figure  of  the  circle  with  serrated  edge,  as  seen  in  the  upper 
left  hand  corner  of  the  foregoing  group,  is  not  an  uncommon  one 


64 


RECORDS  OF  ANCIENT  RACES 


among  the  pictographs.  The  peculiar  cross  with  the  curved  arms, 
in  the  center  of  this  figure,  is  a  very  common  one  on  the  pottery  from 
the  mounds  of  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Arkansas ;  and  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  burial  vases  are  decorated  with  it  in  some 
form.  The  figure  in  the  lower  left  hand  corner  of  the  cut  is  similar 
to  the  one  just  spoken  of,  except  that  the  serratures  or  rays  on  the 
outer  circle  are  wanting. 

It  is  very  interesting  for  us  to  learn  that  almost  exactly  such 
figures  as  these  are  among  the  oldest  of  symbolic  forms  known. 
They  were  sacred  symbols  when  the  first  of  all  religions  began,  the 
woi'ship  of  the  sun.    They  were  used  as  symbols  by  our  forefathers. 


Vase  from  Mound  fn  Missouri. 


Vase  from  a  Tomb  at  Thebes,  Egypt. 


the  ancient  Aryans,  in  these  or  similar  forms,  to  represent  the  great 
luminary.  In  fact,  all  the  figures  on  this  funeral  vase  from  an  old 
mound  in  Missouri  are  common  symbolical  representations,  used  by 
the  primitive  peoples  of  the  old  world.  Schliemann  dug  up  from 
the  site  of  Ilium,  on  the  Trojan  plain,  innumerable  relics,  bearing 
just  such  symbols;  and  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  found  them  every- 
where in  an(;ient  Egypt.  A  recent  writer  has  said  :  "  We  can  not  be 
too  cautious  in  drawing  impressions  from  analogies ;  yet  compar- 
ison will  not  necessarily  propagate  errors,  but  will  serve  to  elucidate 
obscure  questions." 

In  the  illustration  above  we  show  another  one  of  those  beautiful 
burial  vases,  taken  from  a  mound  in  New  Madrid  county,  Missouri. 
This  illustration  is  reproduced  from  that  splendid  work  on 
Archaeology    issued  by    the  St.  Louis  Academy  of    Science.     The 


IN   THE    MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  65 

figure  on  the  riglit  is  taken  from  Wilkinson's  "Ancient  Egyptians," 
and  was  recovered  from  a  tomb  amid  the  ruins  of  ancient  Thebes, 
in  Egypt.  Tliat  we  have  taken  scores  of  burial  vases  from  rho 
ancient  mounds  of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  almost  exactly  duplicatino- 
the  most  peculiar  shapes  of  many  from  Egypt,  would  in  itself  be 
remarkable,  but  that  many  of  these  should  be  ornamented  in  the 
same  peculiar  way,  and  bear  the  same  symbolic  inscriptions,  is  at 
least  suggestive.  For  the  age  of  the  vase  from  the  mound  in  Missouri 
we  have  as  yet,  perhaps,  no  data ;  but  for  the  Theban  vase  we  go  back 
in  the  history  of  the  past,  among  the  temples,  tombs  and  pyramids, 
full  three  thousand  years  ;  perhaps  more ;  for  it  was  nearly  that  long- 
ago,  doubtless,  when  Homer  wrote  his  Iliad,  where  he  makes 
Achilles  exclaim,  "  Not  though  you  were  to  offer  me  the  wealth  of 
Egyptian  Thebes,  with  its  hundred  gates  ?"  Yet  according  to  Schlie- 
mann,  Homer's  knowledge  of  heroic  Troy  was  only  traditional.  Our 
mound  vase  may  not  be  as  old  as  the  Egyptian  one;  nor  is  it  necessary 
that  the  makers  should  be  cotenipoiary  in  point  of  time.  The  object 
of  this  cliai^ter  is  simply. to  call  attention  to  some  remarkable  facts 
in  American  archaeology,  and  to  compare  them  with  similar  facts  in 
the  ancient  history  of  other  parts  of  the  world. 

It  is  a  favorite  theory  with  some  of  our  best  known  archaeologists 
that  primitive  men,  however  widely  separated,  have  under  like 
conditions  reached  like  results,  through  natural  requirements  and 
surroundings  alone.  We  used  to  hold  to  this  idea ;  but  during  our 
work  in  the  field  so  much  counter  evidence  has  been  placed  before  us 
that  we  have  abandoned  the  theory,  having  been  forced  to  see  that 
some  previous  influence,  some  remembrance  it  may  be,  in  connection 
with  his  origin  on  this  continent,  has  been  instrumental,  in  some 
degree,  in  shaping  the  life  of  the  Mound-Builder  of  this  country. 
Some  points  of  parallelism  may  be  accidental,  possibly,  but  we  do 
not  think  our  readers  will  so  accept  the  analogies  we  here  present. 

The  circle  with  the  globe  or  ball  in  the  centre,  as  seen  on  both  the 
Mound-Builder  and  Egyptian  vases  we  have  just  figured,  is  a  very 
common  symbol,  not  only  on  the  pottery  and  in  the  pictographs  of 
the  caverns,  but  also  in  the  Mound-Builders'  earthworks.  Of  these 
we  shall  speak  later  on.  We  wish  to  call  attention  to  the  cross-like 
figure  on  the  mound  vases  in  the  last  illustration.  This  form  of 
cross,  together  with  that  of  the  cross  in  the  preceding  illustration, 
where  the  arms  of  the  cross  are  bent  or  crooked  (very  common  on 
our  mound  pottery),  is  also  very  similar  to  crosses  found  by   Dr. 


QQ  RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

ScMiemann  on  earthen  vessels  and  other  objects  while  excavating  on 
the  site  of  ancient  Troy.  He  says  :  "  Many  of  these  Trojan  articles, 
and  especially  those  in  the  form  of  volcanoes,  have  crosses  of  the 
most  various  description,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  drawings.  The  form 
A  occurs  especially  often  ;  upon  a  great  many  we  lind  the  sign,^ 
of  which  there  are  often  whole  rows  in  a  circle  round  a  central  point. 
In  my  earlier  reports  I  never  spoke  of  these  crosses,  because  their 
meaning  was  utterly  unknown  to  me.  I  now  perceive  that  these 
crosses  on  the  Trojan  terra-cottas  are  of  the  highest  importance  to 
archaeology. 

"I  consider  it  necessary  to  enter  more  fully  into  the  subject,  all 

the  more  so  as  I  am  now  able  to  prove  that  both  the  ^p  and  the  |— j-* 
which  I  lind  in  Emile  Burnouf's  Sanscrit  lexicon,  under  the 
name  of  ''suastika"  and  with  the  meaning  or  sign  of  good  wishes, 
were  already  regarded,  thousands  of  years  before  Christ,  as  religious 
symbols  of  the  very  greatest  importance  among  the  early  progeni- 
tors of  the  Aryan  races  in  Bactria,  and  in  the  villages  of  the  Oxus, 
at  a  time  when  Germans,  Indians,  Pelasgians,  Celts,  Persians,  Sla- 
vonians and  Iranians  still  formed  one  nation  and  spoke  one  language. 
For  I  recognize  at  the  first  glance  the  'suastika'  upon  one  of  the  three 
pot  bottoms  discovered  on  the  bank  of  the  Oder,  and  wliicli  gave 
rise  to  very  many  learned  discussions,  while  no  one  recognized  the 
mark  as  that  exceedingly  significant  religious  symbol  of  our 
remote  ancestors. 

"I  find  a  whole  row  of  these  peculiar  crosses  all  around  the 
famous  pulpit  of  St.  Ambrose,  in  Milan.  I  find  it  occurring  a 
thousand  times  in  the  catacombs  of  Rome.  I  find  it  in  three  rows, 
and  thus  repeated  sixty  times,  upon  an  ancient  Celtic  funeral  urn 
discovered  in  Shropham,  in  the  county  of  Norfolk,  and  now  in  the 
British  Museum.  I  find  it  also  upon  several  Corinthian  vases  in  my 
own  collection,  as  well  as  on  two  very  ancient  Attic  vases  in  the 
possession  of  Prof.  Kusopolus,  at  Athens,  which  are  assigned  to  a 
date  as  early  at  least  as  a  thousand  years  before  Christ.  It  i,s  to  be 
seen  innumerable  times  on  the  most  ancient  of  Hindoo  temples.  I 
find  in  the  Ramayana  that  the  ships  of  King  Rama— in  which  he 
carried  his  troops  across  the  Ganges  on  his  expedition  of  conquest 
to  India  and  Ceylon— bore  the  jljlj  on  their  prow.  And  it  is  said 
that  the  Phnceician  ships  bore  the   same   old    sign  from   the 

Aryans— ZLI  good  wishes, — in    their    voyages    to    Ophir    during 
the  reign  ^^  of  King  Solomon. 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  07 

"  It  is  to  be  seen  on  the  sacred  footprints  of  Buddha,  carved  on 
the  Amraverti  Tope,  near  the  river  Kistna,  ^  where  it  is  repeated 
again  and  again  on  the  toes,  heels  and  other  parts  of  the   footprints. 

"Emile  Burnonf,  in  his  excllent  La  Science  des  Religions,  just 
published,  says:  The  HJ  represents  the  two  pieces  of  wood 
which  were  laid  cross-wise  upon  one  another  before  tlie  sacri- 
ficial altars  in  order  to  produce  the  holy  fire,  and  wliose  ends  were 
bent  around  and  fastened  by  means  of  four  nails,  Zb  so  that  this 
wooden  scaffolding  might  not  be  moved.  At  the  '  point  where 
the  two  pieces  of  wood  were  joined,  there  was  a  small  hole,  in  which 
a  third  piece  of  wood  in  the  form  of  a  lance  was  rotated  by  means 
of  a  cord  made  of  cow's  hair  and  hemp,  till  the  fire  was  g(.Mierated 
by  friction.      This  was  the  manner  of  making  fire  before  the  use  of 

flint  and  steel. 

"  Upon  my  writing  to  M.  E.  Burnonf  to  inquire  about  the  other 
symbol,  the  cross  in  the  form  ^  which  occurs  hundreds  of  times 
upon  the  Trojan  terra-cottas,^^  he  replied,  that  he  knows  with 
certainty  from  the  ancient  scholiasts  on  the  Rig- Veda,  from  com- 
parative philology,  and  from  monumental  figures,  that  '  suastikas.' 
in  this  form  also,  were  employed  in  the  very  remotest  times  for 
producing  the  holv  fire.  He  adds  that  the  Greeks  for  a  long  time 
generated  fire  by"' friction,  and  that  the  two  lower  pieces  of  wood 
that  lay  at  right  angles  across  one  another  were  called  'otavpos; 
which  word  is  either  derived  from  the  root  '  stri,'  which  signifies 
lying  upon  the  earth  and  is  then  identical  with  the  Latin  'sternere,' 
or  it  is  derived  from  the  Sanscrit  word  'stavara,'  which  means  firm, 
solid,  immovable.  Since  the  Greeks  had  later  other  means  ()f  pro- 
ducing fire,  the  word  ^  otavpoa'  passed  into  use  simply  in  the 
sense  of  '  cross.' 

'^  Other  passages  might  be  quoted  from  Indian  scholars  to  prove 
that  from  the  very  remotest  times  the  "IJ  and  the  ^  were  the  most 
sacred     symbols    of  our  Aryan   fore-''-fathers." 

Thus  the  enthusiastic  Schliemann,  fresh  from  the  deep  excava- 
tions he  was  making  amid  the  ruins  of  Troy,  sits  himself  down  in 
the  library  at  Athens,  with    the  old    Greek   books  before  him, 

1  This  is  another  of  those  curious  ancient  foot-prints  spoken  of  in  a  preceding  chap- 
ter, so  commonly  seen  on  the  rocks  along  the  Mississippi.  Dr.  Schliemann  gives  an 
Illustration  of  it,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  on  this  old  carving,  made  in  India  niuny 
centuries  ago,  the  toes,  heels  and  other  parts  of  the  feet  have  devices  cut  upon  them 
almost  exactly  like  some  on  our  mound  pottery. 


RECOEDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES.  G8 

endeavoring  to  learn  the  meaning  of  the  strange  things  h(^  was 
dragging  from  the  historic  earth  at  Ilium. 

Primitive  men  had  learned  to  generate  fire  by  friction.  Improv- 
ing a  little,  they  made  a  simple  instrument  for  this  purpose,  of  two 
pieces  of  wood  crossed.  They  were  Sun-Worshippers,  and  in  making 
the  fire  for  their  sacrifices,  this  little  implement  of  two  crossed 
sticks  was,  the  better  to  use  it,  and  that  it  might  be  more  stable, 
fastened  to  the  altar  by  a  nail  through  each  of  the  four  projecting 
arms.  When  they  wished  to  generate  fire,  a  stick  was  placed  in 
the  hole  in  the  centre  of  the  cross,  and  having  attached  a  cord  or 
bowstring,  the  stick  was  rapidly  rotated  until  the  friction  gen- 
erated combustion,  and  Toehold  there  was  fire.  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  these  primitive  people  considered  fire  a  supernatural  element, 
when  even  in  this  day  of  scientific  learning  fire  is  still  a  sort  of 
mystery  to  our  savans,  and  any  explanation  of  the  phemomena 
seems  to  be  lacking  in  clearness  ? 

It  is  also  very  natural  that  the  implement  with  whicli  the 
mysterious  fire  was  brought  to  them,  connected  as  it  was  with  the 
sacred  rites,  should  itself  become  a  sacred  symbol. 

This  is  a  most  interesting  history  of  the  sign  of  the  cross  among 
our  Aryan  forefathers.  The  sign,  simple  enough  in  the  beginning, 
took  on,  in  the  after  ages,  many  embellishments  and  additions,  but 
has  never  lost,  and  retains  to  day  in  its  base,  the  primitive  form  of 
the  ancient  fire-sticks. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Another  Mound  Vase  with  singular  Symbolic  Signs.— Illustrations  of  thk 
Devices.— The  singular  sign  of  T  or  "tau."  by  the  Egyptians.— Resem- 
blance TO  Chinese  Characters.— Placing  of  Amulets  on  the  Breasts  of 
Mummies  by  the  Egyptians.— The  Sacred  Beetle.— The  Symbol  on  the  Bee- 
tle's Back.— Similar  Custom  among  the  Mound-Builders.— The  curious 
Gorgets  of  Shell.— The  Cross  on  the  Spider's  Back.— The  ancient  Sym- 
bol OF  "Good  Luck."— No  Phallic  Worship  in  America.— The  origin  of 
THE  T  OR  "tau."— The  Enemies  of  the  Egyptians  wore  a  Gorget  with  a 
Cross  like  the  Mound-Builders.— Curious  and  suggestive  Comparisons. 
—The  Maltese  Cross  on  Mound  Pottery.— Copper  Crosses. 

^^|pE  have  another  pretty  burial  vase,  or  water-vessel,  from  a 
^jiM&  mound  on  the  line  "between  S.  E.  Missouri  and  Arkansas.  It 
is  a  little  larger  than  a  somewhat  similar  shaped  vessel  figured  on  a 
preceding  page.  The  tall  neck  is  of  the  same  shape,  but  the  base  is 
quite  "different— flat  on  the  bottom,  around  which  are  arched  aper- 
tures. This  base  is  hollow,  and  has  the  appearance  of  having  been 
added  after  the  body  of  the  vase  had  been  completed. 

It  stands  staight  on  its  base,  has  been  burned,  and  appears  to  be 
strong  and  serviceable.  It  shows  but  little  sign  of  age,  and  the 
ornamental  lines  and  symbolic  characters,  still  clear  and  plain,  are 
made  with  a  bright  red  pigment,  which,  it  may  be  worthy  of  remark, 
is  the  same  color,  according  to  Wilkinson,  i  used  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians  in  similar  decorations.  It  is  exceedingly  neat  and  sym- 
metrical in  shape,  and  perhaps  it  would  not  be  too  mucli  to  say  that 
it  would  require  an  artist  of  no  mean  pretensions  to  excel  it  on  the 
potter's  wheel  of  to-day. 

But  that  to  which  we  would  more  especially  call  the  attention  of 
our  readers  is  the  row  of  symbolic  designs  about  tlie  base  of  the 

neck  of  the  vessel.  They  are  six  in  number,  following  consecutively 
as  above.  The  last  figure  T,  however,  is  repeated  several  times  on 
the  vessel.     This  T,  or  tau  as  the  Egyptians  called  it.  was  a  sign  of 

1  Vol.  ii,  p.  292,  --Ancient  Eg3'ptians." 


70 


EECORDS    OF   AXCIEXT    RACES 


life  on  all  their  ancient  monuments.  Several  of  these  figures  are 
common  on  the  great  obelisk  from  Egypt  recently  set  up  in  New- 
York.  They  have  a  great  resemblance,  also,  to  Chinese  characters. 
It  is  well  known  to  Chinese  scholars,  that  many  characters  which 


Ornamental  Water-Vase  from   Mound  in  Arkansas. 


originally  were  of  circular  form,  were  latterly  made  square,  the  better 
to  manipulate  them  on  the  introduction  of  type.  And  the  Chinese 
now,  in  writing  the  old  style,  make  some  figures  round  which  in  the 
type  are  square. 

It  was  a  custom  of  the  ancient  Eyptians  to  place  on  the  breasts  of 
their  mummies  a  sort  of  amulet  or  sacred  object.      One  of  the  moat 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY. 


71 


common  of  these,  according  to  Wilkinson,  was  a  scarabseus,  or 
sacred  beetle.  This  was  carved  from  a  great  variety  of  hard  stones, 
such  as  agate,  amethyst  and  even  the  most  precious  of  gems. 
Every  one  of  tliese  beetles  bore  on  its  back  the  sacred  tau  or  T,  the 
Egyptian  symbol  of  life.  The  lines  of  separation  of  the  wing 
covers  of  the  beetle  naturally  form  this  sign  on  its  back,  but  in 
many  of  the  beautiful  scarabsei  we  have  seen  the  tau  or  cross  is 
dominant  eitlit^r  by  incised  lines  or  by  being  raised  in  relief. 


These  scarabsei  are  so  common  about  the  mummy-pits  of  Egypt 
that  hundreds  are  sometimes  collected,  made  of  great  varieties  of 
stone,  each  insect  bearing  on  his  back  the  sacred  cross. 

It  is  very  singular  that  the  Mound-Builders  of  the  Missisippi 
Valley  should  have  had  a  custom  quite  similar.  It  is  common  in 
the  mounds,  especially  those  in  the  American  Bottom,  as  well  as  in 
Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  to  find  on  the  breast  of  the  skel- 
eton a  circular  disk  or  gorget  of  sea-shell.  This  shell  disk  generally 
has  carved  upon  it  some  symbolic  sign ;  and  we  have  found  a  num- 
ber of  them  on  which  was  carved  an  insect,  generally  a  spider. 
But  what  is  mo>t  singular  is  that  the  back  of  the  insect  invariably 
bears  the  symbol  of  the  cross.  We  give  above  an  illustration  of 
three  of  these  engraved  shell  gorgets,  taken  from  three  different 
mounds.  We  have  selected  these  three  because  each  figure  of  the 
cross  is  a  little  different.  It  will  be  seen  that  they  are  exactly  like 
the  symbols  figured  and  described  by  Schliemann,  so  common  on  the 
whorls  and  other  objects  dug  up  at  Troy. 

The  cross  on  the  gorget  in  the  centre  is  precisely  like  that  of  the 
ancient  Trojans  and  Greeks,  and  which  Schliemann  thinks  had  its 
origin  in  the  cross-sticks  on  the  altars  of  the  ancient  Sun-Worship- 


72  RECORDS    OF    ANCIENT    RACES 

pers,  the  ancient  symbol  of  ^ood  luck.  That  the  symbol  of  the 
cross  is  an  ancient  one  there  cannot  be  the  least  doubt,  whether  it 
originated  from  the  ancient  fire-sticks  among  the  Sun-Worsliippers, 
as  advanced  by  some,  or  in  phallic  worship,  as  advanced  by  others. 
We  are  inclined  to  the  former.  But  our  object  is  not  so  much  to 
find  the  origin  of  the  cross,  as  to  find,  if  possible,  from  what  source 
our  Mound-Builders  derived  the  symbol. 

There  is  some  reason  to  believe  that  the  peculiar  Egyptian  tau 
may  have  been  a  different  symbol  from  that  of  the  cross. 
Wilkinson,  whom  we  consider  good  authority,  says.  "  The  origin 
of  the  tau  I  cannot  precisely  determine,  but  this  curious  fact  is 
connected  with  it  in  later  times — that  the  early  Christians  of  Europe 
adopted  it  in  lieu  of  the  cross,  which  was  afterwards  substituted  for 
it,  prefixing  it  to  inscriptions  in  the  same  manner  as  the  cross  in 
later  times ;  and  numerous  incriptions  headed  by  the  tau  are  pre- 
served to  the  present  day  in  early  Christian  sepulchres  at  the  Great 
Oasis." 

In  the  illustrations  given  by  Wilkinson  of  the  "enemies  of  the 
Egyptians, "  ^  taken  from  the  sculptures  at  Thebes,  there  are  shown 
two  groups  of  people  who  wear  on  their  breasts,  apparently  sus- 
pended by  a  cord  around  the  neck,  circular  amulets,  almost  pre 
cisely  like  the  shell  disks  from  our  American  Mounds,  with  the 
same  shaped  crosses  in  the  centre.  ^  He  says  :  "Enemies  of  Egypt, 
wliose  name  is  lost,  were  distingushed  by  their  peculiar  custom 
*  *.  Round  their  neck,  and  falling  upon  their  breasts,  was  a  large 
round  amulet,  very  similar  to  those  of  the  Dervishes  of  the  East ; 
in  which  they  resembled  the  Assyrian  captives  of  Tirhakah,  repre- 
sented on  the  walls  of  Medeenet  Haboo." 

In  another  place,  describing  the  sculptures  representing  the 
enemies  of  Egypt,  he  says  ;  ^  "  The  girdle  was  sometimes  liiglily 
ornamented  ;  men  as  well  as  women  wearing  ear-rings  ;  and  they  fre- 
quently had  a  small  cross  suspended  to  a  necklace,  or  to  the  collar 
of  the  dress.  The  adoption  of  this  last  was  not  peculiar  to  them ; 
it  was  also  appended  to,  or  figured  on  the  robes  of  the  Kot-n-n,  and 
traces  of  it  may  be  seen  in  the  ornaments  of  the  Rebo,  showing 
that  this  very  simple  device  was  already  in  use  as  early  as  the 
fifteenth  century  before  the  Christian  era.  " 

1  Wilkinson's  "  Ancient  Egyptians,"    p.  ;391,  vol.  1. 

2  "Ancient  Egj-ptians,"    p.  393,  vol.  1. 

3  "Ancient  Egyptians,"    p.  396,  vol.  1. 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  73 

It  must  be  remembered  here  that  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  is  des- 
cribing the  sculpture  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  as  he  saw  it  at 
Thebes  and  other  places ;  and  tbat  we,  in  this  work,  are  endeavoring 
to  compare  relics  discovered  by  ourselves  in  our  ancient  mounds, 
not  theories.  A  person  who  has  worked  for  years  may  be  permitted 
to  make  comparisons,  or  show  the  analogy  of  his  work  to  that  of 
some  other,  but  a  man  without  an  original  discovery  is  pretty  bold 
to  go  before  the  world  with  simply  a  theory.  We  do  not  know  who 
the  Mound-Builders  were,  any  more  than  we  know  who  some  of  the 
enemies  of  the  Egyptians  were,  as  sculptured  on  the  rocks  at 
Thebes  ;  but  we  believe  it  to  be  worthy  of  notice,  that  another  peo- 
ple, in  Asia,  are  known  to  have  once  worn  some  of  the  same  peculiar 
symbols  that  we  find  in  the  graves  of  the  Mound- Builders  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  These  peculiar  symbols  were,  by  both  the 
Mound-Builders  and  by  the  race  of  people  shown  in  the  sculptures  of 
Thebes,  carved  on  disks  of  shell,  and  worn  suspended  by  a  cord 
from  the  neck.  By  examining  the  cuts  of  the  three  mound 
disks,  which  were  accurately  engraved  from  photographs,  one 
will  see  at  the  top  of  each  gorget  the  two  holes  by  which  they 
were  suspended;  and  to  see  how  these  were  worn,  turn  to  page 
391,  vol.  1,  Wilkinson's  "Ancient  Egyptians,"  and  on  one  of  these 
"  enemies  "  will  be  seen,  suspended  from  his  neck,  a  disk  on  which 
is  the  figure  of  a  peculiar  double  cross,  just  like  the  one  on  the  left 
of  our  engraving  of  the  three  mound  disks. 

We  think  it  remarkable  that  the  Egyptians,  or  in  fact  any  people 
of  Asia,  should  have  the  same  peculiar  symbol  of  the  cross  as  the 
Mound-Builders ;  but  that  both  should  have  engraved  this  peculiar 
symbol  on  the  back  of  an  insect,  as  a  sacred  emblem,  is  still  more 
suggestive,  to  say  the  least.  Almost  every  form  of  the  cross,  revered 
in  the  Old  World  in  the  ages  past,  is  found  common  in  the  mounds 
and  ancient  ruins  of  America.  The  cruel  Spaniards,  with  the  wicked 
Catholic  priests,  who  pillaged  Mexico  and  mercilessly  tortured 
Montezuma,  saw  the  Aztecs  adoring  the  symbol  of  the  cross.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  Toltecs  and  Peruvians ;  in  fact,  so  univer- 
sally was  it  revered  hy  the  ancient  people  of  America,  that  Gomora, 
the  Spanish  historian,  says :  "  This  veneration  of  the  cross  made 
them  more  ready  to  adopt  the  Christian  symbol."  We  do  not  care 
to  discuss  here  the  relation  of  the  more  advanced  races  of  Mexico, 
Peru  and  other  parts  of  the  continent  with  the  Mound-Builders 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley ;   but  merely  remark  that  they  seem  to 


74  RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

have  inherited  the  same  peculiar  customs,  and  had  a  solar  worship. 
Common  as  were  most  of  the  forms  of  the  cross  in  America,  it  is 
not  generally  known  that  some  of  the  more  intricate  forms  were 
frequent.  What  is  known  as  tlie  Maltese  cross  was  common.  Mr. 
Edwin  Barber,  in  the  American  Antiquarian  for  July,  1878,  in  an 
article  calling  attention  to  the  remarkable  similarity,  not  only  of  the 
shape,  but  of  the  very  peculiar  decorations  of  Pueblo  pottery,  to 
the  Greek  and  ancient  Egyptian,  says  :  "  The  Maltese  cross,  or  a 
device  analogous  to  it,  is  very  common  to  the  Pueblo  pottery  of  the 
west,  and  is  usually  found  decorating  the  centre  of  shallow  bowls. 
Figure  13  is  a  Greek  design  on  the  Pueblo  pottery.  It  might  also 
be  considered  a  modification  of  the  East  Indian  or  Buddhic  '  suasti- 
ka,'  or  what  the  Chinese  call  '  wautse.'  "  We  reproduce  his  figure 
from  the  Pueblo  pottery.     Also  a  somewhat  similar  device  from  a 


.\  -  i^/ 


*  V 


Device  from   Pueblo   Pottery.  Device  on  Mound  Pottery  from  Missouri. 

beautiful  piece  of  pottery  from  a  mound  in  Missouri,  Both  of 
these  figures  have  the  eight  points  of  the  Maltese  cross.  The  one 
on  the  right,  from  the  mound  pottery,  has  enclosed  in  its  centre 
another  cross,  common  among  mound  objects,  especially  pottery, 
and,  as  we  have  seen,  on  the  shell  gorgets.  We  have  another  vessel 
in  which  this  latter  neat  cross  is  reproduced,  with  the  centre  one 
having  still  a  third,  like  the  one  in  the  shell  gorget,  page  71. 

Prof.  F.  W.  Putnam,  the  enterprising  and  idefatigabU^  collector 
who  has  made  the  Peabody  Archaeological  Museum  of  Hartford 
College  famous,  gives  in  the  fifteenth  report  of  the  Museum  of  which 
he  is  curator,  a  number  of  illustrations  of  cruciform  objects  made  of 
copper,  taken  from  ancient  mounds  in  both  North  and  South 
America.  These  were  worn  on  the  breast  suspended  from  the  neck, 
as  amulets  or  symbolic  adornments,  in  precisely  the  manner  of  the 
''  enemies  of  the  Egyptians, "  as  shown  in  the  sculptures  of  ancient 
Thebes. 


CHAPTER     XVII. 


Sculptured-Crosses  from  Mexico. —Symbolic  Significance  of  the  Cross.— Thk 
Jaina  Cross.— The  Resemblance  of  some  Mound  Symbols.— Masonic  Devices. 
Ancient  Earthworks  in  the  form  op  Masonic  Symbols.— The  Circle, 
Square  and  Triangle  common  forms  with  the  Mound-Builders. —Masonry 

HAD  ITS  ORIGIN  IN    SUN-WORSHIP.— BELZ0NI"S    ToMB  IN  EGYPT.— MASONRY   AN 

Ancient  Religion.— The    Indians  thought  to  be    Masons.— The  Hidden 
History  of  Mankind. 

l^ORD   Kingsborough,   in   his    "  Antiquities   of    Mexico "  gives 
^  illustrations   of  numbers   of  crosses   found  sculptured  there, 
aniono;  which  are  the  following: . 


Ancient  Crosses  from   Ruins  in   Mexico. 


Of  these  Dr.  Weisse,  in  his  "  The  Obelisk  and  Freemasonry, '' 
makes  the  following  remarks :  'All  crosses  have  more  or  less  sym- 
bolic significance.  The  third  of  these  Mexican  ones  looks  like  a 
cross  of  high  importance  in  Masonry,  because  it  is  but  a  moditica- 
tion  of  the  cross  used  by  the  widely  diffused  order  of  Ishmael.  It 
has  been  found  on  Assyrian,  Egyptian,  Hindu,  Trojan,  Roman, 
Mexican  and  Peruvian  ruins.  It  has  been  called  the  Jaina  cross, 
because  it  is  so  highly  cherished  by  the  Hindu  caste,  named  Jains. 
It  i.s  even  found  on  Gothic  cathedrals  and  fortifications  of  Central 
Europe  ;  so  that  its  esoteric  meaning  must  have  been  known  to  the 
ancient  dwellers  of  the  Western  Continent.  " 

Being  a  Knight  Templar  himself,  the  writer's  attention  has  been 
many  times  called  to  the  resemblance  of  these  cruciform  devices  to 
Masonic  emblems  ;  and  it  is  indeed  strange  that  there  are  few 
Masonic  emblems  which  can  not  be  reproduced  from  the  symbolic 
devices  of  the  Mound-Builders  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Not  only 
are  these  symbolic  devices,  resembling  those  of  Masonry,  figured  in 
their  hieroglyphics,  on  their  burial  vases,  on  their  amulets  and  other 
objects,  but  in  the  shape  of  vast  earthworks,  that  are  numerous 
throughout  our  "  Great  Valley.  " .  Forms  like  those  on  page  76 
are  common  in  Ohio  and  elsewhere,  in  embankments  of  earth,  %yhich 
in   some  instances   enclose  many  acres  of  ground.     The  circle,  the 


76  RECORDS    OB^    ANOIEJS^T   RACES 

square  and  the  triangle  were  well  known  symbolic  forms  among 
these  ancient  people. 


A 


Beside  these  symbols,  we  have  seen  quite  enough,  during  our 
explorations  in  the  mounds,  to  warrant  us  in  believing  that  many 
of  the  religious  observances  of  the  Mound-Builders  were  analogous 
to  Masonic  ceremonies.  Were  the  Mound  Builders  Masons  ?  No ; 
but  they  were  Sun- Worshippers,  and  this  worship  was  probably 
the  beginning  of  all  religions,  and  the  beginning  of  all  society. 
Masonic  archaeologists  have  reason  to  believe  that  Masonry  is 
older  than  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt,  existing,  peihaps,  before  there 
were  any  structures  of  a  public  character,  "  when  they  met  upon  the 
highest  hills  and  in  the  lowest  valle^^s,  and  worshipped  the  sun,  the 
all-seeing  eye. "  To-day,  as  an  arch£eologist,  we  look  at  these 
things  just  as  we  do  on  other  antiquities.  The  ancient  history  of 
Egypt  carries  with  it  the  history  of  Masonry.  Whoever  has  read 
Mariette  Bey's  "  Monuments  of  Upper  Egypt "  and  the  description  of 
Belzoni's  tomb,  will  have  an  idea  that  when  the  Phoenicians  laid  the 
foundations  of  Solomon's  temple  Masonry  was  a  relic  of  antiquity, 
and  had  been  a  religion  for  centuries  before. 

Nearly  all  the  nations  of  the  old  world  began  their  advancement 
as  Sun- Worshippers  ;  and  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  some  of  these 
ceremonies  and  superstitions  still  cling  to  us,  even  in  our  Christian 
religion. 

There  is  a  tradition  which  we  have  seen  in  accounts  of  Eastern 
history,  that  the  Temple  of  Solomon  was  built  by  Phoenician  work- 
men after  a  copy  of  their  own  Temple  of  the  Sun  in  Tyre,  with  the 
difference  that  in  the  east  the  great  burnished  emerald  which  repre- 
sented the  sun  was  replaced  in  the  Jewish  temple  by  the  "  all-see- 
ing eye. " 

It  is  said  that  some  of  the  early  travelers  among  our  Indian  tribes 
brought  back  the  astonishing  reports  that  some  of  the  Indians, 
from  their  ceremonies  and  symbols,  must  have  some  knowledge  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  It  is  much  more  probable  that  Masonry 
was  derived  from  their  old  religion. 

Ah!  If  we  only  knew  from  whom  they  learned  to  make  the 
sign  of  the  cross,  and  the  sj^mbols  on  their  breast-gorgets,  then 
might  we  begin  to  unravel  the  hidden  history  of  mankind. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

The  Mississippi  Valley  once  the  Home  of  a  Vast  Population. — Their  Towns, 
Agkicdlture,  Government,  ^Esthetic  Tastes. — The  Ancient  Sites  of  Towns 
OCCUPIED  NOW. — The  Mound-Builders'  Habits  and  Customs  the  result  of 
A  Former  Influence.— St.  Louis  the  Site  of  an  Ancient  Town.— Illustra- 
tion of  a  Group  of  Mounds  in  the  City.— The  Truncated  Pyramids.— The 
SINGULAR  Triangular  Earthwork.— Emblematic  and  Symbolic  Mounds 
OF  Wisconsin. -The  Sacred  Circle. -The  Sanctuary  of  the  Sun-Worshippek. 
— Human  Sacrifices  by  the  Mexicans  and  Grkeks. — The  Sacred  Pf;ntagon 
a  place  of  sacrifice.— a  Sun  Circle  in  Calhoun  Co.,  Ills— Earth -Works 
IN  Ohio. 

I^STITHAT  the  Mississippi  Valley  was  once  the  home  of  a  vast 
%^^A.^  population,  composed  of  tribes  who  had  fixed  habitations, 
dwelt  in  large  towns,  practiced  agriculture  with  a  good  degree  of 
method  and  skill ;  who  had  a  well-organized  system  of  religious 
rites  and  worship,  and  whose  aesthetic  tastes  were  far  in  advance  of 
the  savage  who  roamed  over  her  prairies  and  hill-ranges  when  her 
great  rivers  were  first  navigated  by  white  men,  is,  we  are  confident, 
no  difiicult  matter  to  prove.  "  ^ 

Mr.  Brackenridge,  who  was  an  extensive  traveller,  and  a  man 
of  excellent  judgment,  in  speaking  of  the  ancient  works  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valle}^  says  :  "  It  is  worthy  of  observation  that  all  these 
vestiges  invariably  occupy  the  most  eligible  situations  for  towns  or 
settlements  ;  and  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  they  are  most  numer- 
ous and  considerable.  There  is  hardly  a  rising  town,  or  a  farm  of 
an  eligible  situation,  in  whose  vicinity  some  of  these  remains  may 
not  be  found.  I  have  heard  a  surveyor  of  public  lands  observe  that 
wherever  any  of  these  remains  were  met  with  he  was  sure  to  find 
an  extensive  body  of  fertile  land."  ^ 

Brackenridge  wrote  of  these  things  seventy-five  years  ago,  but 
the  same  holds  good  to  day.  Wherever  there  is  a  considerable 
town  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississipi^i,  it  will  be  found  to  be  built 
upon  the  ruins  of  an  older  one,  of  the  builders  of  which  we  know 
not  even  the  color,  let  alone  the  name,  origin  or  condition.  Perhaps 
the  last  word  ought  not  to  have  been  written  ;  for  we  do  know  tlicir 
•'condition;''  and  whoever  reads  these  pages  will  know  something 

I  C<>n;int. 

3  '•  View.-  (if  Loui.-iuna.  '" 


78  RECORDS  OF  ANCIENT  RACES 

of  tlieir  manners  and  customs,  even  their  religion,  and  will  certainly 
be  impressed  Avith  the  seeming  fact  that  the  Mound-Builder  eitli«'r 
was  at  one  time  an  immigrant  from  other  shores,  or  had  his  life- 
destinies  warped  by  those  who  were  immigrants. 

Even  the  city  of  St.  Louis  used  to  be,  in  early  days,  called  "  The 
Mound  City,"  from  the  number  of  ancient  mounds  on  her  site ;  and 
we  can  well  remember  of  seeing  these  mounds  in  her  streets  when 
a  boy.  We  have  relics  that  we  dug  out  at  the  old  Mound  Market 
thirty  years  ago.  Brackenridge  has  described  these  nKumds,  and 
Beck,  in  his  Gazeteer^  has  a  diagram,  which  Conant,  in  his  "  Foot- 
prints," has  improved  upon.     One  group  was  arranged  as   follows  : 


Group  of  Mounds  once  Occupying  the   Site  of  St.  Louis 


There  are  seen  here  two  of  the  large  platform  mounds  so  common 
in  the  American  Bottom  and  this  region, — truncated  pyramids,— 
no  doubt  symbolic  in  their  shape,  and  having  an  analogy  with  East- 
ern pyramids. 

But  we  wish  to  call  attention  to  another  earth-work  which  is  sx)oken 
of  by  the  early  writers,  and  is  remembered  by  some  old  citizens  as 
once  occupying  a  part  of  the  site  of  the  city.  It  is  spoken  of  by 
Conant.  It  is  a  triangular  work,  formed  by  three  embankments 
enclosing  a  circle,  precisely  like  that  we  have  figured  from  the  rock 
sculptures  and  paintings,  the  burial-vases,  breast-gorgets  and  ob- 
jects worn  as  talismans.  There  is  the  same  all-seeing  eye  ;  but  here 
the  sacred  circle  is  enclosed  in  a  trianerle : 

The  work  figured  here  is  located  in  Iowa,  on  Root  River,  about 
twenty  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  central  mound,  in  the 
circle,  is  represented  as  being  thirty-six  feet  in  diameter  and  twelve 
feet  in  height.  The  long  embankments  which  form  the  sides  of  the 
triangle  were  each  one  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  in  length,  and 
were  respectively  three,  four  and  five  feet  in  height  and  twelve  feet 


IX   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY. 


79 


in  diameter.  The  work  like  this  once  existing  on  the  site  of  St. 
Louis  was  said  to  have  been  destroyed  somewhere  between  1835 
and  1840. 

All  through  Iowa,  Wis- 
consin, Minnesota  and 
the  Northwest  are  seen 
almost  innumerable  em- 
blematic and  symbolic 
mounds,  as  if  some  off- 
shoot, or  outlying  section 
of  the  great  nation  of 
Mound  -  Builders  h  a  d 
carried  to  a  remarkable 
degree  the  custom,  not 
only  of  mound-making, 
but,  very  singularly,  of 
making  their  mounds 
nearly  all  symbolic  or  emblematic  in  shape. 

Pidgeon,  in  his  interesting  though  somewhat  vague  "  Traditions 
of  Dacoodah,  "  first  brought  them  to  the  public  notice  ;  followed  by 
Lapham's  "  Survey, "  which  has  given  us  much  information  on  the 

subject.  Still  later,  the  Rev. 
Steven  D.  Peet,  of  the 
American  Antiquarian,  has 
done  a  gieat  deal  more  by 
his  illustrations  of  the  Em- 
blematic Mounds  of  Wis- 
consin. 

Pidgeon  gives  a  cut  of 
an  interesting  one  of  these 
works  on  the  Kickapoo  Riv- 
er, Wisconsin.  The  central 
work,  with  radiating  points, 
is  sixty  feet  in  diameter  and 
three  feet  in  height.  This  is 
enclosed  by  five  crescent- 
shaped  works  having  an  ele- 
vation of  two  feet,  and  all  presenting  a  level  surface  at  the  top. 
Pidgeon  supposes  this  work  to  have  been  occupied  during  sacrificial 
festivities  consequent  upon  the  offering  of  human  sacrifices  to  the  sun, 


80 


RECORDS  OF  ANCIENT  RACES 


which  the  central  mound,  with  its  rays,  represented.  He  explored  this 
mound;  and  after  removing  the  soil  from  the  top,  the  central  portion, 
for  the  space  of  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  was  found  thickly  studded 
with  plates  of  mica  set  in  white  sand  and  blue  clay.  The  observer 
adds  that,  "  had  this  soil  been  removed  with  care,  and  th 3  stratum 
beneath  washed  by  a  few  heavy  showers  of  rain,  under  the  sun's 
rays  it  would  have  presented  no  unapt  symbolical  representation 
of  that  luminary.  " 

It  is  very  natural  to  suppose  that  the  ancient  Sun-Worshippers 
•would  sometimes  shape  their  sanctuaries  in  the  form  of  the  great 
luminary.  Mexicans  and  other  peoples  of  this  religion  have  been 
seen  to  offer  human  sacrifices  in  a  blaze  of  fire  upon  their  altars. 
Some  of  the  Spaniards  were  compelled  to  witness  this  in  the  great 
Temple  of  the  Sun  in  Mexico. 

Homer  says  that  at  the  celebration  of  the  burial  of  Patroclus. 
Achilles  sacrificed  twelve  Tro- 
jans by  burning  them  to  ashes. 
And  a  mound  was  raised  over 
the  remains  of  Achilles'  friend 
in  precisely  the  way  mounds 
were  made  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley. 

In  the  vicinity  of  this  sun- 
mound  in  Wisconsin,  the  same 
author  describes  and  figures 
another  one,  which  he  calls 
"The  Sacred  Pentagon."  The 
outer  circle  in  this  work  is 
twelve  hundred  feet  in  diam- 
eter. 

Excepting  the  five  angles  forming  the  pentagon,  there  is  a  work 
almost  exactly  such  as  this  in  the  lowlands  on  the  point  in  Calhoun 
Co.,  Ills.,  where  the  Illinois  river  enters  the  Mississii^pi.  The  outer 
circle  in  this  work  is  nearly  a  mile  in  circumference.  The  central 
mound,  and  the  mound  guarding  the  outer  opening  or  gateway,  are 
still  intact. 

Extensive  earth-works,  in  the  form  of  circles,  squares,  triangles, 
and  other  forms,  are  common  in  Ohio.  We  were  reared,  as  were  our 
parents  before  us,  almost  in  sight  of  that  great  work  on  the  Little 
Miami  river,  known  as  "Fort  Ancient." 


The  Sacred  Pentagon. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Were  the  Earthworks  for  Defensive  Purposes? — The  Tradition  that  an 
Eclipse  of  the  Sun  caused  a  Change  in  the  Ceremonies  of  the  Mound- 
Builders. — Historic  Mounds. — Illu.stration  of  a  group  of  Hieroglyphic 
or  Record  Mounds. — Their  description. — Contemporaries  of  Mound- 
Makers. — The  great  number  of  Emblematic  Mounds  in  Wisconsin. — The 
Advance  made  by  Some  of  the  Mound-Builders  toward  Civilization.— The 
Emblematic  Mounds  op  Wisconsin  the  Last  of  the  Race. — Did  the  Effigy 
Builders  know  the  Buffalo? — Effigy  Mound,  representing  a  Man. — Com- 
bination Mound. — An  Am algamation Group  of  Mounds  ;  reciting  History. — 
PiDGEoN,  The  author  of  "  The  Traditions  of  Dacoodah,"  who  he  was  and 

WHERE  he  lived  AND  DIED. 


T  used  to  be  thought  that  these  earth-works  were  erected  for 
defensive  purposes,  and  some  of  the  larger  ones  in  Ohio  may 
possibly  have  been  utilized  for  such  purposes.  Some  of  those  in 
Ohio,  like  Fort  Ancient,  occupy  commanding  positions  ;  and  were 
the  embankments  surmounted  with  well-planted  pickets,  with  strong 
gates  at  the  en  trance- ways,  they  would  have  made  strong  positions 
against  an  enemy.  But  some  of  these  works  we  have  seen  are  con- 
tiguous to  high  bluffs,  from  which  a  warrior  could  have  landed  his 
arrows  inside  the  intrenchments.  From  a  military  point  of  view 
some  of  the  positions  of  these  works  are  poor.  Those  we  have 
figured  were  quite  probably  for  religious  or  other  ceremonial 
purposes. 

Pidgeon  gives  a  tradition,  which  he  says  he  had  from  an  old 
Indian  prophet,  which  is  very  interesting,  notwithstanding  this  sort 
of  traditional  lore  is  not  very  reliable.  The  Indian  asserted  that 
there  was  a  change  in  their  mode  of  burial  in  obedience  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  prophets,  for  the  reason  that,  while  the  people  were 
burning  the  body  of  a  great  and  good  chief,  suddenly  the  sun,  their 
chief  deity,  refused  to  shine,  although  there  was  not  a  cloud  in  the 
sky.  This  was  taken  as  a  sign  of  disapprobation  of  the  custom, 
which  gradually  ceased  thereafter. 

It  is  very  easy  to  believe  that  incidents  like  this  might  make  such 
an  impression  on  a  people  as  to  change  even  a  national  custom. 
Especially  would  it  impress  a  people  who  had  met  together  to  burn 
the  dead  body  of  a  great  and  good  ruler,  offering  his  remains  to  the 
sun,  if  the  sun  should  disappear,  or  be  eclipsed,  in  a  cloudless  sky. 


82 


RECORDS    OF   ANCIENT   RACES 


Even  in  this  advanced  age,  our  people  have  not  entirely  rid  them- 
selves of  superstition,  quite  possibly  inherited ;  and  if  an  eclipse 
was  to  occur  to-day,  unheralded  and  unannounced,  consternation 
would  seize  upon  the  larger  part  of  us. 

The  same  author  gives  a  description  and  illustration  of  an  inter- 
esting group  of  mounds  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  St.  Peter's 
river,  about  sixty  miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  in 
what  was  then  the  Territory  of  Minnesota.     He   describes  it  thus  : 

b 


@    ^    9 


The  central  embankment,  in  the  form  of  a  tortoise,  is  forty  feet  in 
length,  twenty- seven  in  breath,  and  twelve  i*n  perpendicular  height. 
It  is  composed  in  part  of  yellow  clay,  brought  from  some  distant 
place.  The  two  pointed  mounds  north  and  south  of  this  are  formed 
of  pure  red  earth,  covered  with  alluvial  soil.  Each  is  twenty-seven 
feet  in  length  and  six  in  height  at  the  largest  end,  gradually  nar- 
rowing and  sinking  at  the  top  until  they  terminate  in  a  point. 
The  four  corner  mounds  were  each  twelve  feet  iiigh  and  twenty-five 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  base.  The  two  long  mounds  on  the  east  and 
west  sides  of  the  group  were  sixty  feet  in  length,  twelve  feet  in 
diameter,  and  eight  feet  high.  Tlie  two  mounds  on  the  immediate 
right  and  left  of  the  central  Q^gy  were  twelve  feet  long,  six  feet 
wide  and  four  feet  in  height.     They  were  composed  of  sand  mixed 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  83 

with  small  bits  of  mica  to  the  dejDth  of  two  feet,  and  covered  with 
white  clay,  with  a  layer  of  surface  soil  on  the  top.  The  large 
mound  in  the  centre,  south  of  the  efiigy,  was  twelve  feet  high  and 
twenty-five  feet  in  diameter,  conii)osed  of  a  stratum  of  sand  two 
feet  in  depth,  covered  with  a  mixture  of  sandy  soil  and  blue  clay. 
The  similar  work  on  the  north  of  the  tortoise  was  of  like  formation, 
four  feet  high  and  twenty-two  feet  in  diameter. 

We  agree  with  Mr.  Conant  i  when  he  says  that  "this  cluster  of 
mounds,  twenty-six  in  number,  presenting  such  variety  of  forms 
and  peculiar  arrangement,  and  which  must  have  required  so  much 
time  and  labor  for  their  construction,  must  convince  the  observer 
that  they  were  intended  to  perpetuate  some  history,  and  that  each 
of  the  hieroglyphic  symbols  of  which  the  group  is  composed  had 
its  special  significance,  which  was  well  understood  by  the  builders 
and  [maybe]  their  cotemporaries.  " 

And  since  it  may  occur  to  many  of  our  readers  to  ask  why  we 
speak  of  cotemporaries,  wo  will  simply  say  that  it  is  now  a  com- 
mon belief  among  archseologists  that  America  has  been  inhabited 
by  people  coming  from  more  than  one  source  ;  yet  during  the  age 
in  which  the  Mound-Builders  were  paramount,  there  were,  as  we 
have  before  remarked,  outer  branches  or  colonies,  lacking  very 
much  the  advancement  of  the  mother  and  central  stock,  that  carried 
symbolism  to  the  extreme,  as  seen  in  the  earth-works  of  Wisconsin 
and  the  Northwest. 

The  emblematic  mounds  of  Wisconsin  are  very  puzzling,  and 
have  awakened  more  curiosity  and  elicited  more  unsatisfactory 
speculations  than  any  class  of  earthworks.  There  is  hardly  a 
desirable  alluvial  bottom,  or  a  piece  of  arable  upland  in  this  re- 
gion, but  that  it  has  been  occupied  before.  So  with  the  sites  of  the 
cities  and  towns  along  the  Mississippi,  in  Illinois,  Missouri, 
Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  once  preoccupied  by  the  Mound-Builders, 
— a  people  so  much  advanced  as  to  live  by  agriculture  mainly,  and 
reside  in  large  communities,  leaving  special  evidence  of  elevation 
in  their  really  artistic  ceramics,  showing  an  advance  toward  re- 
finement, as  well  as  in  their  great  earth -works  at  Cahokia  and 
elsewhere,  showing  an  advance  in  the  concentration  of  govern- 
mental powers  and  national  control,  even  though  it  may  have  been 
through  a  blind  religious  bigotry.     Any  religion,  in  the  early  stages 

1  "  Footprints  of  Vanished  Races,"     p.  19. 


84 


RECORDS    OF    ANCIENT    RACES 


of  the  history  of  mankind,  has  "been  for  advancement,  simply 
because  it  furnished  a  means  of  control,  a  law.  So  the  earth-works 
of  the  Northwest  show  the  beginning  of  an  advancement  in  this 
line,  commencing  later,  and  being  very  much  weaker.  This  colony, 
priest-led  and  given  up  almost  wholly  to  the  work  of  emblematic 
representation,  flourished  a  while,  probably  by  consent  or  acqui- 
escense  of  the  invader,  until  the  end  came,  and  the  savage  red  Indian 
occupied  the  whole  land  ;  which  was  divided  between  bands  hostile 
to  one  another. 


Emblematic  Mound  in  Wisconsin, 


Somehow  we  have  received  the  impression  that  the  builders  of  the 
emblematic  mounds  of  Minnesota  were  the  last  of  their  rac(^  and 
kind.  We  have,  during  the  last  thirty  years,  explored  mounds  from 
Lake  Winnepeg  to  Florida,  and  the  imj)ression  grows  with  us  that 
the  most  recent  mounds  are  in  the  Northwest.  It  maybe  yet  shown 
that  some  of  these  people  were  endeavoring  to  retreat  in  the  direc- 
tion from  whence  they  came. 

Although  the  emblematic  mounds  of  Wisconsin,  like  the  mound 
pipes  of  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  together  with  the  mound  pot- 
tery of  Illinois,  Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  give  an  almost 
complete  representation  of  the  animals  and  birds  of  the  region, 
we  have  as  yet  been  unable  to  recognize  any  of  those  ])re- 
glacial,  or  glacial  creatures,  such  as  the  mastodon  and  elephant, 
whose  remains  are  so  common  in  the  glacial  clays.  Emblematic 
mounds  representing  these  proboscidians  probably    exist  only  in 


j#ii*Mi 


^ 


^  V I 


Emblematic   Mounds  in  Wisconsin. — Scale,    loo  feet  to  an    inch. 


86 


KECORDS  OF  ANCIENT  RACES 


the  imagination.  Elephant  pijjes,  like  those  of  DavenjDort,  are 
quite  probably  frauds  by  which  new  and  credulous  investigators 
have  been  led  astray.  We  have  had  an  opportunit}^  to  examine  these 
pipes  carefully.  We  make  it  a  point,  as  a  naturalist  as  well  as  an 
archaeologist,  that  in  the  emblematic  mounds  of  Wisconsin  we  have 
the  only  evidence — and  this,  even,  is  not  beyond  question,  since  the 
forms  are  certainly  vague, — that  our  Mound-Builders  knew  the 
buffalo,  an  animal  of  such  value  and  importance  to  the  later  Indian. 


Effigies  on  College  Campus  at  Waukesha,  Wi: 


The  college  at  Waukesha,  in  Wisconsin,  is  built  upon  the  site  of 
an  ancient  Mound-Builder's  town,  and  all  about  it  are  the  curious 
earthen  effigies.     We  give  an  illustration. 


IX  THE  MISSISSIPPI  yallp:y. 


87 


In  this  group  tlie  effigy  mounds,  as  seen,  are  ke])t  carefully  in-e- 
served  and  protected  from  any  injur}^,  as  mementoes  of  one  of  the 
ancient  races  that  once  inhabited  the  region. 

At  Lake  Monona  is  another  interesting  group,  showing  the  effigies 
of  birds  and  animals,  together  with  an  example  of  the  parallel  em- 


Effigy  Movjnd  at  Lake   Monona,  Wis. 

bankments  of  which  we  have  spoken  in  a  preceding  chapter. 
We  are  indebted,  for  permission  to  use  these  fine  plates  of  some  of 
the  effigy  mounds  of  Wisconsin,  to  our  friend,  the  Rev.  Steven  D. 
Peet,  Editor  of  the  American  Antiquarian^  and  well  known,  not  only 
in  America  but  in  Europe,  as  an  antiquarian  and  ethnologist. 


One  of  a  G:ojp  of   Mounds  near  the  Wisconsin   River. 


On  the  following  page  we  give  another  illustration  of  the  emblem- 
atic mounds  at  Crawfordsville,  on  the  Fox  River,  in  Wisconsin. 
In  this  cut  can  be  seen  the  forms  of  birds  and  animals  and  other 


uo 


RECORDS    OF   AjSTCIENT    RACES 


Bird  and  Beast. 


These  human  effigies  are  sometimes  a  hundred  feet  or  more  in  length, 
and  show  the  body  in  various  positions  or  in  connection  with  some 
other  effigy. 

Here  is  another,  seeming  to  be  a  combination  of  forms,  it  may  be 
of  bird  and  beast.  This  was  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in 
length  and  forty-four  in  its  greatest  breadth.  The 
whole  was  comjDosed  of  a  reddish  clay,  covered  over 
with  black  alluvium  to  the  depth  of  a  foot,  most  prob- 
ably the  result  of  the  decay  of  vegetation  on  the  eurface 
during  the  lapse  of  a  considerable  number  of  years, 
certainly  some  centuries. 

Birds  are  a  common  feature  of  these  effigies,  and 
various  attitudes  of  the  different  birds  are  depicted — 
eagles  and  other  birds  of  prey,  as  shown  by  their 
hooked  beaks;  water-fowl ;  snipes  with  their  long  bills, 
some  in  full  flight  and  others  with  wings  closed  or 
partly  extended.  Animals  of  almost  all  descriptions 
native  to  the  locality  are  shown  in  all  sorts  of  postures, 
some  singly,  and  others  in  droves  or  processions.  Some  of  these  are 
combined  with  the  human  form,  as  is  shown  in  the  cut  below. 

This  curious  group  is  one  of  the  most  complicated  and  enigmatical 
found.     The  part  of  the  figure  representing  the  beast  is  one  hundred 

and  eighty  feet  in 
length.  The  human 
efS.gy  perpendicular 
to  it  is  one  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  long. 
On  either  side  of  the 
upper  and  horizontal 
figure,  is  a  truncated 
mound  eighteen  feet 
in  diameter  and  six 
feet  in  height.  The 
summits  of  both  are 
flat.  The  representa- 
tions of  horns,  which  are  very  distinct,  are  of  different  dimensions. 
The  main  stem  of  the  front  horn  is  eighteen  feet  in  length  ;  the 
one  which  inclines  backward  is  twelve.  Tlie  longest  antlers  are 
six  feet  long,  and  the  shortest,  three.  At  the  foot  of  the  human 
ef^gy  is  attached  an  embankment,  running  parallel  with  the  hori- 


Amalgamation  Group, 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY. 


91 


zontal  figure,  eighty  feet  in  length,  twenty-seven  in  diameter,  and 
six  in  height.  On  a  line  with  this  is  a  series  of  conical  mounds, 
the  largest  of  which  is  also  twenty-seven  feet  in  diameter  and  six 
in  height.  From  this  the  others  diminish  on  either  side,  and  termi- 
nate in  mounds  eighteen  feet  in  diameter  and  three  in  height. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  curious 
effigy  mounds  of  Wisconsin ;  the  meaning 
of  which,  as  given  by  Pidgeon,  is  so  plain, 
and  withal  so  very  natural,  that  we  give  it. 
He  calls  it  an  amalgamation  group,  and 
says  it  was  designed  as  a  public  record 
and  seal  of  the  amalgamation  of  two  na- 
tions or  tribes,  the  Elk  and  the  Buft'alo ; 
which  is  expressed  in  the  union  of  the 
heads  and  the  joining  of  the  foot  of  one 
with  the  foot  or  hand  of  the  other. 

Mr.  Pidgeon,  the  author  of  the  ''  Tradi- 
tions of  Dacoodah,"  from  which  work  we 
have  taken  the  last  and  two  preceding 
illustrations,  was  an  old  gentleman  of  very 
unobtrusive  and  retiring  disposition,  who 
resided  for  a  number  of  years,  in  the  later 
part  of  life,  in  Calhoun  Co.,  Illinois,  where 
he  died.  We  made  his  accquaintance  but 
a  short  time  before  his  death.  He  seemed, 
from  what  we  saw,  to  be  modest  and  truth- 
ful, though  somewhat  imaginative ;  and  we 
may  say  we  never  had  reason  to  doubt  his  sincerity 


was  quite  religiously  inclined, 
the  Indians,  but  seemed  not 
among    his  white    neighbors. 


Human  Effigy  (See  p.  S^}. 

In  fact  he 
He  spent  years  of  his  life  among 
to  care  for  intimate  acquaintance 
and  not  to  have  been  personally 
known  among  archseological  writers  and*  investigators  of  the  day. 
We  make  this  statement  because  we  have  received  numerous  letters 
of  inquiry  as  to  our  acquaintance  with  the  author  of  that  most  in- 
teresting work,  ''  The  Traditions  of  Dacoodah.  "  It  seems  that  the 
obscurity  of  the  author  impaired  the  value  of  the  work.  Neither 
can  we  say  that  we  could  vouch  for  its  reliability.  Nor  do  we 
agree  with  him  in  his  theories.  Yet  we  believe  his  work  has  both 
truth  and  merit  in  it. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

The  Emblematic  Mounds  of  Wisconsin  not  so  Old. — Small  Mounds  numerous 
IN  THE  Northwest. — The  most  Modern  Mounds  in  Dakota. — Mounds  con- 
nected BY  Curious  Paths  made  of  Buffalo  Bones.— Exploration  of  some  of 
these  in  the  Dakota  Valley. — The  Age  op  the  Mounds. — The  Age  of  the 
Bone  Paths. — Relics  from  these  Mounds. — The  Shape  of  the  Skulls. — The 
Many  Different-Shaped  Skulls. — Long  Skulls. — Small  Size  of  the  Skulls. 
— A  singular  Human  Skull  from  a  Cahokia  Mound. — Compressed  Skulls. — 
The  Neanderthal  Skull  as  compared  with  some  of  our  Mound-Builders'. 
— A  singular  Skull  from  a  Mound  in  Missouri. — Skulls  from  the  Pottery 
Mounds. — Broad,  Thick  Skulls.— Unequal  Size  of  the  Lobes. — Egyptian 
Skulls.— Curious  Story  by  Herodotus. 

'E  have  remarked  that  we  have  reason  to  believe  the  emblem- 
atic mounds  of  Wisconsin  to  be  of  more  recent  date  than 
the  earth-works  of  Ohio  and  those  of  which  we  have  written,  in  Illi- 
nois and  the  Mississippi  Valley  below.  The  collections  we  have  seen, 
from  Wisconsin  and  the  region  about,  are  not  rich  in  remains.  One 
single  mound  in  the  American  Bottom  would  possibly  reveal  more 
indications  of  extensive  acquaintance,  in  which  barter,  trade  and 
really  a  sort  of  aboriginal  commerce  is  plainly  perceptible  ;  many 
indications  of  this  character,  together  with  the  massive  proportions 
of  the  earth-works,  evidencing  a  strength  in  the  people  that  was 
lacking  in  Wisconsin. 

Small  mounds  are  numerous  in  the  Northwest ;  and  in  our  ex- 
cavations in  them  we  somehow  received  the  impression  that  they 
were  made  by  a  people  who  had  survived  some  greater  condition  in 
the  past.  In  fact  the  most  modern  mounds  we  have  noted  are  in  the 
Northwest,  in  Dakota.  Along  the  streams  in  the  valley  of  the 
Dakota  or  James  river,  mounds  are  common,  and  what  is  most 
singular,  we  have  seen  groups  of  them  paved  over  with  bones  of  the 
buffalo.  A  few  years  ago,  our  attention  was  called  to  these  mounds 
by  some  surveyors  we  met  in  St.  Paul,  who  were  laying  out  the 
township  lines  in  the  valley  of  the  James  river,  then  a  complete 
wilderness  of  prairies.  Returning  with  the  surveyors,  we  spent 
many  days  exploring  the  mounds.  The  mounds  differed  but  little 
from  those  of  Illinois  and  Missouri  in  shape  and  appearance.  They 
were  from  six  to  twelve  feet  in  height  and  oval  in  shape.  But  what 
was  most  singular  was   the  paths  of  bone  connecting  one   mound 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  98 

with  another.  These  paths  were  made  of  the  leg-bones  of  the  buf- 
falo, which  are  very  heavy  and  strong.  The  bones  were  laid  side  by 
side,  touching  each  other,  and  imbedded  in  the  ground  so  that  only 
the  upper  surface  was  exposed  ;  and  on  the  gentle  slopes  of  the  prai- 
rie, for  miles  away,  we  could  plainly  discern  the  slim  white  lines 
from  one  mound  to  another.  The  bones  had  been  placed  neatly  and 
with  some  precision,  and  were  firmly  imbedded  in  the  hard  earth, 
which  was  a  sort  of  cement  of  gravel  and  soil.  One  of  these  paths 
was  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  imbedded  in  the  hard  gravel,  and  as  we 
walked  over  it  there   was  a  metallic  ring  to  our  footsteps  and  not  a 


vuaur. 


NORTH  .  v^iiUilujii^-  ^--''' 


^^^^,«.x    ',m,m^  •n,„^^^^^^ 


f^W^''  ■  euwuS^ 


^y„v»:x; 


Paths  of  Buffalo  Bones  in  Dakota. 


single  bone  was  displaced.  Improbable  as  it  may  seem,  v/e  were 
impressed  with  the  seeming  fact  that  these  paths  had  been  made 
many  years  ago  ;  how  long,  of  course,  we  could  not  tell,  but  certain- 
ly not  beyond  the  age  of  a  man.  Our  explorations  in  the  mounds, 
which  were  difficult  of  excavation  on  account  of  the  dry,  cemented 
nature  of  the  gravelly  soil,  revealed  the  remains  of  the  persons 
buried  in  the  mounds.  Tlie  skulls,  of  which  we  brought  away  a 
number,  were  very  much  like  those  of  tlie  present  Indians.  There 
was  an  axe  of  diorite,  and  another  of  green-stone,  both  quite  small 
and  rude ;  several  rude  flint  arrow-points,  quite  similar  to  those 
found  in  Illinois  ;  but  not  a  single  thing  to  awaken  any  suspicion  of 
connection  with  the  whites. 

Only  the  singular  and  pretty  paths  of  the  buffalo-bones  indicated 
a  modern  origin.  These  might  have  been  placed  there — and  pro- 
bably were — long  years  after  the  mounds  were  built.  But  they 
showed  to  me  one  fact  conclusively  :  that  some  one  in  recent  times 
had  an  interest  in  tbem  and  perhaps  a  knowledge  of  their  history, 
and  could  have,  possibly,  given  some  information  in  regard  to  the 
buildeis. 


94  RECORDS    OF   ANOIEjS^T   RACES 

We  have  the  skulls  referred  to ;  and  they  seem  to  hav^  a  sort 
of  modern  Indian  look;  but  we  have  foisnd  so  many  skulls  in 
mounds,  of  such  a  variety  of  types,  and  skulls  in  individuals  pre- 
sent such  a  difference  of  outline,  size,  etc.,  that  we  hopelessly  gave 
up  the  attempt  to  classify  them  some  time  ago. 

In  our  collection  of  more  than  two  hundred  of  human  crania 
from  the  mounds,  we  have  all  the  different  tj^pes,  and  have  been 
unable  to  select  any  special  one  that  we  could  with  confidence 
denominate  as  peculiar  to  these  ancient  people.  We  have  found  in 
the  same  mound,  high  skulls  and  low  ones,  long,  narrow  ones,  and 
short,  broad  ones,  to  use  the  more  common  and  in  some  respects 
more  sensible  terms. 

From  some  of  the  larger  and  older  mounds  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Illinois  Hiver  we  have  taken  a  number  of  long,  narrow  skulls,  not 
numerous  enough  to  make  a  ruling  type ;  but  they  were  in  large 
works,  and  from  the  surroundings  must  have  belonged  to  persons 
of  importance,  perhaps  rulers  among  their  people. 

We  have  never  taken  a  skull  from  a  mound,  neither  have  we  seen 
one  known  to  be  the  remains  of  a  Mound-Builder,  any  larger  than 
an  average  European  skull  of  the  present  day.  Ou'V  experience  is 
that  our  mound  skulls  have  a  smaller  average  in  size  as  compared 
with  the  European. 

One  of  the  largest  skulls  we  have  seen,  from  a  mound,  was  in  the 
Cahokia  group  of  mounds.  It  is  figured  in  our  "  Antiquities  of 
Cahokia. "  With  it  were  found  some  splendid  burial  vases, 
ornaments  and  other  objects,  that  induced  us  to  believe  its  owner 
must  have  been  a  chief  or  ruler ;  at  least  a  person  of  note.  He  had 
been  a  large  man,  perhaps  six  feet  in  height.  His  skull,  which  I 
preserved,  by  drying  with  care  and  soaking  in  a  solution  of  gela- 
tine, was  of  good  size,  unusually  thick  and  strong.  It  was  chiefly 
remarkable,  however,  for  its  shape.  Tlie  whole  upper  part  of  the 
skull  was  flattened,  and  it  bulged  out  in  lobes  behind  on  either  side. 
The  forehead  was  almost  annihilated,  being  nearly  level  with  the  back 
part,  like  the  skull  of  a  beast.  The  ridges  over  the  eyes  were 
enormous,  like  great  battlements  over  the  deep  cavities  of  the  eyes, 
which  must  have  been  large.  In  this  respect  it  most  resembled  the 
celebrated  Neanderthal  skull.  We  say  it  was  flat  on  top.  We 
perhaps  could  better  describe  it  by  saying  horizontal  or  level ;  for  it 
was  not  in  the  full  sense  flat,  as  though  it  had  been  formed  in  that 
way  by  having  a  piece  of  board  bound  on  top  of  the  head,  after  the 


IN   THE    3IISSTSSIPPI    VALLEY.  95 

fashion  of  the  modern  Flat-Head  Indians.  It  was  gently  rounded, 
and  I  was  nnable  to  decide  that  the  form  of  this  singular  skull  had 
been  produced  artificially.  The  under  jaw  was  large;  the  teeth 
were  strong,  large  and  deeply  imbedded  in  their  sockets,  although 
not  all  sound  ;  the  Mound-Builders,  as  a  rule,  seeming  not  to  have 
had  sound,  perfect  teeth.  Nor  did  they  always  articulate,  as  is  the 
case  with  most  of  the  later  Indians. 

This  old  Mound-Builder,— for  the  teeth  show  he  lived  to  mature 
age,— must  have  presented  a  singular  appearance  wlien  living,  with 
his  great  head,  and  brain  of  more  than  average  size  among  his  fel- 
lows, a  fitting  fellow  for  him  of  Neanderthal.  And  how  they  could 
have  glared  at  each  other  !  How  savage  he  was  of  course  we  do  not 
know ;  perhaps  not  like  a  savage  at  all ;  for  he  lived,  as  his  sur- 
roundings would  indicate,  like  those  from  the  tombs  of  Egypt, 
amid  government,  religion  and  some  degree  of  art,  if  we  consider 
the  pottery  to  show  the  latter.  We  can  not  believe  he  was  an  idiot, 
notwithstanding  the  shape  of  his  head. 

We  have  found  a  numb<T  of  skulls  of  this  shape,  not  so  large  nor 
so  pronounced.  We  figure  one  from  a  mound  in  Missouri.  The 
skull  was  so  much  decayed  as  not  to  be  preserved  in  perfect  condi- 
tion, yet  still  the  upper 
part  is  sufficiently  shown 
to  give  one  an  idea  of  the 
shape.  This  skull  also 
gives  indications  of  having 
once  held  a  large  brain. 
Although  not  so  heavy 
and  strong  as  the  one  pre-  .,  „.     „      .  ^^    ^ 

^  -^  Skull  from  Missouri  Mound. 

viously    described,    in    its 

shape  it  is  remarkably  like  the  old  European  cave-dweller's  cranium 

from  the  cave  of  Neanderthal. 

While  we  have  found  a  number  of  crania  of  this  form,  and  have 
seen  others  like  them  in  the  cabinets  of  collectors,  we  are  not  quite 
prepared  to  consider  these  long  skulls  as  a  distinctive  type  that 
might  be  used  to  show  a  national  affinity.  There  is,  however, 
another  class  of  skulls  very  much  more  numerous,  that  may  be  a 
type,  if  their  numbers  may  be  used  to  indicate  such.  They  are 
common  in  what  we  call  the  pottery  mounds, — for  all  mounds  do 
not  contain  jjottery, — but  more  especially  in  this  class  if  found  in 
the  central  and  southern  Mississippi  Valley.     These  are  short,  broad 


98 


RECORDS    OF   ANCIENT   RACES 


Indians,  in  fact,  do  seem  to  have  a  pecnliar  type  of  skull,  and  their 
skulls  are  found  almost  everywhere  along  the  streams  in  the  valley 
of  the  Mississippi;  this  people  having  a  custom  of  burying  their 
dead  in  shallow  graves  on  the  bluffs  and  ridges  of  the  highlands 
adjacent  to  the  rivers.  These  skulls  are  well  described  by  Dr. 
Foster.  ^     "  The  brain  case  is  box-like,  with  the  corners  rounded  off; 


the  occiput  extends  up  vertically;  the  frontal  ridge  is  prominent; 
the  cerebral  vault  is  pyramidal ;  the  interparietal  diameter  is  great ; 
the  supercilliary  ridges  and  zymatic  arches  sweep  out  beyond  the 
general  line  of  the  skull ;  the  orbits  are  quadrangular ;  the  forehead 
is  low  ;  the  cheek  bones  high ;  and  the  jaws  prognathous. 

"His  character,  since  first  known  to  the  white  man,  has  been 
signalized  by  treachery  and  cruelty.  He  was  never  known  to  volun- 
tarily engage  in  an  enterprise  requiring  methodical  labor  ;  he  dwells 
in  temporary  and  movable  habitations ;  he  follows  the  game  in  their 
migrations  ;  he  imposes  the  drudgery  of  life  upon  his  squaw  ;  he 
takes  no  heed  for  the  future.  To  suppose  that  such  a  race  threw  up 
the  earth-works  and  symmetrical  mounds  on  our  river  terraces,  is  as 
preposterous,  almost,  as  to  suppose  they  built  the  Pyramids  of 
Egypt.  " 


1  "  Prehistoric  Races  of  America. 


CHArTER    XXI. 

Similarity  of  the  Mounds  of  America  and  other  Countries.— iSuPERiORiTY  of 
THE  Mound-Builders  over  the  Indiajsis.— The  Heroes  of  Troy.— America's 
Dead  Nation  without  a  History.— Extensive  Acquaintance  and  Trade 
OF  the  Mound-Builders.— Mounds  Common  over  the  World  —An  Egyptian 
and  an  American  Landscape  Compared— Pyramids  in  the  United  States.— 
Mounds  on  the  Caiiokia  Bottom.— The  Great  Pyramid  of  Caiiokia.— Its 
Description.— The  American  Bottom  and  its  Ancient  Ruins— A  Descrip- 
tion of  the  Mounds  in  1811.— The  Group  op  Mounds  Surrounding-  the 
Pyramid.— Origin  and  Use  of  the  Great  Cahokia  JSIounds— The  Temple 
•  OF  the  Sun  in  Mexico,  and  the  Mounds  Surrounding  it.  -The  Sacrifices 
BY  the  Mexicans.— Artificial  Ponds  about  Cahokia.— The  Size  of  Caiiokia 
Compared  with  the  Pyramids  op  Egypt.— Puzzling  Points  of  Analogy.— 
The  Sacred  Shells  from  Cahokia.— The  Reversed  Shells  of  Buddha 
Found  in  Our  Mounds.— Our  Pyramids  Straight  with  the  Points  of  the 
CoMPASS.-rDiD  the  Indians  Know  the  Direction  from  Stars  ? 

^^OWEVER  satisfactory  tlte  history  of  symbolism  in  Europe 
^t^  and  Asia  may  be,  yet  to  the  student  of  Archaeology  it  may 
fail  to  account  for  the  presence  of  these  symbols  on  this  continent. 
We  are  constantly  puzzled  by  these  analogies,  although  they  serve 
to  make  us  more  observing  in  our  researches. 

Like  Schliemann,  we  commence  digging  again;  and  it  is  to  be 
noted  how  strangely  similar  are  the  results  of  one  of  these  days  of 
labor,  notwithstanding  the  distance  that  intervenes.  Scliliemann 
is  digging  in  a  mound  in  full  view  of  the  Hellespont  and  the  ^gean 
Sea,  under  the  official  eye  of  a  Turk.  We  are  digging  in  a  mound 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  on  another  continent,  until  a  com- 
paratively recent  date  unknown.  When  discovered  by  Columbus  it 
was  inhabited  by  a  race  of  people  without  any  history  ;  in  the 
Valley  of  the  Mississippi  these  people  were  living  on  the  ruins  of 
still  another  people,  of  whom  they  had  no  knowledge  whatever. 
For  it  is  an  established  fact  that  our  American  Indians  have  no 
knowledge  of  their  own  origin,  nor  of  the  fate  of  the  Mound-Builders 
who  preceded  them.  We  know  that  a  strong  effort  has  been  made, 
worthy  a  better  cause,  to  establish  the  fact  that  our  American 
Indians  are  descendants  of  the  Mound  Builders.  But  even  if  this 
were  proven,  which  we  are  loth  to  believe,  we  do  not  see  how  it 
affects  our  American  archaeology.  We  still  have  the  same  question, 
Who  were  the  Mound-Builders  ? 


100  RECORDS    OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

The  later  Indians,  when  discovered  by  Columbus,  were  called 
savages,  because  they  had  none  of  the  arts  and  were  almost  if  not 
quite  without  an  established  government  or  religion.  That  the 
Mound-Builders  were  a  superior  people  we  think  is  clearly  proven. 
in  the  remains  of  their  extensive  earth- works,  which  quite  clearly 
indicate  an  established  government  and  a  religion.  Also,  from 
evidences  before  us,  we  believe  they  had  some  knowledge  of  tlieir 
own  origin  and  history.  It  is  indeed  singular  that  the  Indians  of 
this  country  should  have  no  knowlege  whatever  of  the  fate  of  the 
Mound-Builders,  especially  so  if  the  latter  were  their  forefathers. 

Schliemann,  in  his  trenches  on  the  mound  of  Hissarlik,  is  searching 
for  the  tombs  of  the  heroes  of  Troy.  Their  story  has  been  told  by  a 
historian  whose  soul  was  inspired  with  the  harmony  of  the  poet*; 
and  who,  almost  as  proud  of  his  powers  of  description  as  he  was  of 
his  heroes  and  heroines,  passed  them  in  procession  back  and  forth 
before  us,  as  though  he  would  have  us  know  each  one  personally. 
No  heroes,  perhaps,  in  all  the  world  are  better  known  than  Priam 
and  his  valiant  sons,  and  those  with  whom  they  fought  on  the  Trojan 
plain  three  thousand  years  ago.        ' 

In  our  trenches  in  the  mounds  on  the  bank  of  our  great  river,  w(^ 
are  simply  searching  for  a  bit  of  history.  Our  heroes  have  no  name. 
The  Mound-Builder  kings,  if  such  there  were,  have  gone  down  into 
the  tomb  enveloped  in  the  silence  of  oblivion.  A  dead  nation  with- 
out a  history.  No,  not  wholly  without  a  history,  because  here  are 
his  weapons  and  implements  of  stone  ;  his  agricultural  implements 
and  a  great  number  of  tools,  all  of  stone ;  these  tell  us  he  lived  in 
the  stone  age.  There  are  pieces  of  iron  ore,  and  some  of  lead,  but 
he  did  not  know  even  how  to  melt  the  lead  ore,  bub  used  it  as  a 
stone.  The  only  metal  he  knows  is  the  soft  native  copper,  which  he 
pounds  into  shape  for  a  weapon  or  an  ornament.  There  are  beautiful 
sea-shells,  mica  from  the  far  eastern  mountains,  obsidian  from  the 
distant  regions  in  the  West;  so  that  we  know  he  had  quite  a:i 
extensive  acquaintance;  probably  travelled  far  up  and  down  thj 
river,  and  had  a  sort  of  commerce.     Is  that  all  ? 

No!  There  are  some  pretty  sculptured  stone  objects  that  we  are 
satisfied  are  sacred  and  devoted  to  his  religion  ;  and,  last  but  not 
least,  there  are  the  beautiful  burial  vas(^s  of  tempered  clay,  that 
bear  the  most  vivid  and  artistic  devices  ;  which  have  such  a  familiar 
look,  that,  without  r^i-fiecting,  in  our  ecstacy  we  exclaim,  "Why,  we 
know  him  !  "     Before  we  knew  his  family  we  had  nearly  claimed  hira 


ir^   THIO   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  101 

kinsman,  because  our  forefather,  we  know,  in  the  distant  past,  was 
girt  with  skins,  and  carried  a  stone  axe  for  a  weapon,  though  lie 
afterward  wore  a  helmet  and  strode  over  the  field  before  Ilium,  and 
may  be  had  a  tilt  with  some  of  Priam's  sons,  in  the  gloaming,  thirty 
centuries  ago. 

All  over  the  world  primitive  men  have  made  earthen  mounds  over 
their  dead  ;  and  Homer,  describing  the  burning  of  the  body  of  Hector 
and  the  building  of  a  great  mound  over  the  ashes,  describes  just 
what  was  practiced  by  our  American  Mound-Builders.  Many  of  the 
customs  of  the  Mound-Builders  were  similar  to  those  of  the  Greeks, 
and  which  are  traced  through  them  back  to  the  Egyptians.  One 
usually  recognizes  an  Egyptian  landscape  by  seeing  in  the  back- 
giound  a  pyramid  ;  and  Egypt  and  the  pyramid  seem  to  be  insep- 
arable. Yet  America  has  many  pyramids.  They  are  common  in 
Mexico,  1  and  some  of  them  rival  in  size  those  of  Egypt.  They  are 
also  found  in  Central  and  South  America,  and  some  of  these  are 
faced  with  stone  and  have  all  the  peculiarities  of  the  Egyptian 
structures,  even  to  the  singular  openings  to  chambers  within. 

There  are  many  pyramids  in  the  United  States,  regular,  perfect 
pyramids  of  earth,  and  not  faced  with  stone.     One  of  the  largest  of 
these  is  situated  on  the  level  plain  of  that  rich  piece  of  low  land 
bordering  the  Mississippi  opposite  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  and  known 
as  the   American  Bottom.     In  the  midst   of  this  plain,  where   its 
width  is  ten  to  twelve  miles,  there  are  still  t(j  be  seen  the  remains  of 
a  Mound-Builders'  city,  that  in  the  majesty  and  extent  of  its  ruins 
will  vie  with  any  in  the  world.     In  the  centre  of  a  great  mass  of 
mounds  and  earth-works  there   stands  a  mighty  pyramid,  whose 
base   covers  nearly    sixteen  acres  of  ground.     It    is    not    exactl}" 
square,  being  a  parallelogram,  a  little  longer  north  and  south  than 
east  and  west.     Some  thirty  feet  above  the  base,  on  the  south  side, 
is  an  apron  or  terrace,  on  which  now  grows  an  orchard  of  consider- 
able size.     This  terrace  is  approached  from  the  plain  by  a  graded 
roadway.     Thirty  feet  above  this  terrace,  and  on  the  west  side,  is 
another,  much  smaller,  and  on  which  are  now  growing  some  forest 
trees.     The  top,  which  contains  an  acre  and  a  half,  is  divided  into 
two  nearly  equal  parts,  the  northern  ^art  being  four  or  five  feet  the 
highest.     The  height  of  this  structure   is  about  one  hundred  feet, 
from  actual  measurement.     On  the  north,  east  and  south  the  stru^- 

1  Foster's  ••  Prehistoric  Races, '"  p.  18(5. 


104  RECORDS    OF    ANCIENT   RACES 

struck  with  a  degree  of  astonishment  not  unlike  that  which  is  ex- 
perienced in  contemplating  the  Egyptian  pyramids.  What  a  stn- 
pendous  pile  of  earth !  To  heap  up  such  a  mass  must  have  required 
years,  and  the  labor  of  thousands.  It  stands  immediately  on  the 
bank  of  the  Cahokia,  and  on  the  side  next  it  is  covered  with  lofty 
trees.  Were  it  not  for  the  regularity  and  design  it  manifests,  the 
circumstance  of  it  being  on  alluvial  ground,  and  the  other  mounds 
scattered  around  it,  we  would  scarcely  believe  it  to  be  the  work  of 
human  j^ands. 

"  The  shape  is  that  of  a  parallelogram,  standing  north  and  south. 
On  the  south  side  there  is  a  broad  apron  or  step,  and  from  this 
another  projection  into  the  plain,  about  fifteen  feet  wide,  which  was 
probably  intended  as  an  ascent  to  the  mound.  This  step  or  terrace 
has  been  used  for  a  kitchen-garden  by  some  monks  of  La  Trappe, 
settled  near  this,  and  the  top  of  the  structure  is  sown  in  wheat. 
Nearly  west  was  another  of  smaller  size,  and  forty  others  were  scat- 
tered about  on  the  plain.  Two  were  seen  on  the  bluff  at  a  distance  of 
three  miles.  Some  of  the  mounds  are  almost  conical ;  as  the  sward 
had  been  burned,  the  earth  was  perfectly  naked  and  I  could  trace 
with  ease  any  unevenness  of  the  surface,  so  as  to  discover  whether  it 
was  artificial  or  accidental. 

"I  everywhere  observed  a  great  number  of  small  elevations  of 
earth,  to  the  height  of  a  few  feet,  at  regular  distances  from  each 
other,  and  which  appeared  to  observe  some  order ;  near  them  I  also 
observed  pieces  of  flint  and  fragments  of  earthen  vessels.  I  con- 
cluded that  a  populous  city  had  once  existed  here,  similar  to  those  of 
Mexico,  described  by  the  first  conquerors.  The  mounds  were  sites 
of  temples  or  monuments  to  great  men." 

The  largest  of  the  Cahokia  group,  thus  described  by  Brackenridge, 
was  occupied  for  a  time  by  a  colony  of  monks  of  the  order  of  La 
Trappe,  who  devoted  themselves  to  silence,  seclusion  and  a  strictly 
vegetable  diet.  They  soon  succumbed  to  the  malarial  influences  of 
the  climate.  Some  died,  and  the  remaining  ones  returned  whence 
they  came.  The  great  mound,  among  the  early  settlers  at  this  time, 
was  known  as  the  Monks'  Mound.  Subsequently,  one  of  the  white 
settlers  bought  the  land,  and,  thinking  to  be  above  the  malaria, 
built  a  larger  residence  on  top  of  the  structure,  and  made  the  well 
spoken  of  on  the  second  terrace.-  The  mounds  now  generally  are 
known  as  the  Cahokia  Mounds,  from  the  name  of  the   crt?ek  on 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  105 

wliich  they  are  situated,  as  well  as  the  name  of  a  tribe  of  Indians 
found  living  on  its  banks  on  the  advent  of  the  whites. 

As  before  remarked,  we  have  surveyed  this  group,  and  find  that 
the  great  pyramid  is  surrounded  by  seventy-two  others  of  consid- 
erable size,  within  a  distance  of  less  than  two  miles  from  the  great 
structure  in  the  centre.  The  group,  however,  continues  down  the 
Cahokia  to  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was  probably  connected 
with  those  across  the  river,  now  the  site  of  St.  Louis.  Besides  the 
larger  ones  of  which  we  speak,  and  of  which  there  are  considerably 
more  than  a  hundred,  there  was,  as  Brackenridge  remarks,  a  great 
number  of  smaller  ones,  some  of  which  are  now  almost  obliterated  in 
the  cultivated  fields.  Immediately  about  the  great  structure  the 
mounds  are  of  large  size,  and  are  nearer  together.  The  majority  of 
these  are  square,  and  still  retain  their  proportions  ;  their  sides,  in 
some  instances,  being  too  steep  to  admit  of  ploughing.  These  are 
from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  are  utilized  by  the  owners  of 
the  land  as  building-sites.  Their  size  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact 
that  in  several  instances  the  farmer's  residence,  barns  and  all  the 
out-buildings,  together  with  the  kitchen-garden,  find  ample  room  on 
the  summits  of  some  of  these  huge  platforms  and  truncated  pyra- 
mids. A  few  of  the  mounds  in  this  group  are  oval ;  but  we  have 
observed  only  one  that  is  conical. 

Earthen  mounds  are  common  in  Egypt;  and  there  is  hardly  a 
doubt  that  their  great  stone-faced  pyramids,  like  those  of  Mexico, 
were  erected  for  religious  purposes,  and  used  as  tombs  for  the  great 
on  rare  occasions.     The  Egyptians,  like  most  of  the  nations  of  the 
old  world,  began  with  solar  worhip.     So  were  the  Mexicans,  Peruvi- 
ans, and  our  own  Mound-Builders,  worshippers  of  the  sun.     After 
many  days'  explorations  and  study  amoung  the   Cahokia  mounds, 
we  believe  that  the  evidence  tends  to  prove  this  group  of  the  great- 
est mounds  on   this  continent,   and  perhaps  in  the  world,  had  its 
origin  in  religious  purposes,  and  quite  possibly  this  was  the  Mecca, 
or  grand  central  shrine  of  the  Mound-Builders'  empire.     Upon  the 
fiat  summit  of  the  pj'ramid,  one  hundred  feet  above  the  plain,  were 
their  sanctuaries,  probably  two  buildings  like  those  of  Mexico,  glit- 
tf^ring  with  barbaric  splendor,  and  where  could  be  seen  from  afar 
the  smoke  and  fiam^s   of  the  eternal  fire,  their  emblem  of  the  sun. 
At  the  city  of  Mexico  the  Spaniards  found  the  Aztecs  holding  their 
religious  ceremonies  on  almost  precisely  such  a  structure,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  feet  in  height,  witli  five  terraces.     On  the  flat  sum- 


10  ;  RECORDS    OF    ANCIENT    RACES. 

mir.  of  this  pyramidal  structure,  which,  like  that  of  Cahokia,  was 
divided  into  two  X)arts,  were  two  sanctuaries  or  shrines,  in  one  of 
which  the  sacred  fire  burned.  This  great  Mexican  temple-mound 
was  not,  however,  more  than  half  the  size  of  the  Cahokia  pyramid, 
being  only  three  hundred  feet  square  at  the  base.  The  square 
mounds  about  the  base  of  the  principal  structure  at  Cahokia, 
some  of  which  are  larger  than  the  base  of  the  Mexican  temple, 
were  doubtless  used  for  sacred  purposes ;  and  the  adjoining 
mounds  may  have  been  for  residences  of  the  priests  ;  for  just  such 
places  surrounded  the  Aztec  temple. 

"  Surrounding  the  great  pyramid,"  says  Clavigero,  speaking  of 
the  Aztec  temple,  "  were  forty  similar  structures  of  smaller  size, 
consecrated  to  separate  divinities ;  one  was  called  the  House  of 
Mirrors,  and  was  covered  with  brilliant  material,  and  was  sacred  to 
the  god  of  light,  the  soul  of  the  world,  the  spiritual  sun ;  another 
to  the  god  of  water  ;  another  to  the  god  of  air ;  "  and  Gomera  says 
that,  "  because  the  winds  go  round  the  heavens,  they  piade  this 
one  circular.  " 

Beside  these  were  tlie  dwellings  of  the  priests,  amounting  to  5,000 
according  to  Zarata,  and  of  the  attendants  in  the  temple  ;  also 
places  for  the  instruction  of  the  youth ;  and,  if  some  are  to  be 
credited,  places  for  the  reception  of  strangers  who  came  to  visit  the 
temple  and  see  the  glories  of  the  court  of  Montezuma.  "  There  were 
ponds  and  fountains,  groves  and  gardens,  in  which  flowers  and 
sweet-smelling  herbs  were  cultivated  for  use  in  the  sacred  rites  and 
for  the  decoration  of  the  temple," 

This  is  what  the  cruel,  merciless  Spaniard's  saw;  and  it  were 
pardonal)le  if  their  accounts  were  in  glowing  colors.  Yet  there  is  a 
general  concurrence  in  the  accounts  of  these  early  writers,  among 
Avhom  were  Cortez,  BernalDiaz  and  others  who  saw  what  they  de- 
scribe. These  accounts,  which  are  in  the  main  true,  give  us,  not  only 
some  idea  of  the  predominance  of  religious  superstitions  in  Mexi- 
co, but  also  a  good  clew  to  the  customs  of  our  own  Mound  Builders, 
and  the  origin  and  the  uses  of  the  great  structures  on  the  Cahokia 
creek. 

Adjoining  the  Cahokia  p3'ramid  on  the  southwest  is  a  large 
pasture-held,  of  a  hundred  acres  or  more,  that  the  white  settlers 
have  never  plowed  or  put  in  cultivation,  from  the  fact  of  its  being 
so  covered  with  mounds  and  ponds.  It  can  be  very  plainly  seen 
that  these  ponds  are  artificial.     One  is  circular,  with  a  j:)retty  circu- 


IX    THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEV.  107 

lar  island  in  its  centre;  and  as  we  look  down  upon  it  from  a  mound, 
we  see  again  that  ever  present  eye  of  the  manitou,  that  has  glared 
at  us  from  the  bluffs,  from  the  caverns,  and  which  is  so  common  on 
our  ancient  pottery, — the  oldest  sjnnbol  in  the  world.  Another  2:)ond 
is  perfectly  square,  and  the  banks  still  so  steep  that  the  cattle  reach 
the  water  only  by  indirect  paths  worn  in  the  sides  of  the  bank. 
In  the  driest  seasons  the  water  in  the  pond  is  several  feet  in  dej^th. 
and  contains  a  great  many  fishes.  Curious  to  know  if  there  was 
anything  peculiar  about  them,  we  caught  a  number  to  add  to  our 
dinner.  They  were  the  little  sunlishes  so  common  in  the  Cahokia 
and  the  lakes  of  this  region.  What  further  interested  us  was  a 
nuujber  of  square  earthen  platforms  arranged  about  the  pond. 
These  platforms  were  perhaps  a  hundred  feet  long  and  two  or  three 
feet  in  height.  Although  covered  in  places  by  a  thick  growth  of 
bushes,  their  form  could  be  easily  seen.  Brackenridge  speaks  of 
these  in  1811,  when,  the  grass  of  the  prairie  having  been  burned, 
he  could  see  them  plainl}^  and  thought  there  was  design  in  their 
arrangement.  AYe  think  they  may  be  the  remains  of  gardens  about 
the  fish  ponds,  similar  to  those  which  the  Spaniards  saw  about  the 
great  Aztec  temple  of  Mexico. 

The  longest  axis  of  the  great  Cakokia  pyramid  is  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  feet ;  the  shortest,  seven  hundred  and  twenty-one  feet; 
and  it  covers  sixteen  acres,  two  roods  and  three  perches  of  ground. 
The  great  pyramid  of  Cheops,  in  Egypt,  is  seven  hundred  and  foity- 
six  feet  square.  The  Aztec  temple-mound,  of  Mexico,  was  six  hun- 
dred and  eighty  feet  square.  While  the  Cahokia  pyramid  is  of 
much  the  same  shape  as  the  great  temple-mound,  and  as  those  of 
Egypt,  it  is  very  much  larger,  and  the  surrounding  mounds  much 
larger  and  greater  in  number.  We  are  led  to  believe  that  here  on 
the  bank  of  the  Cahokia,  in  the  centre  of  our  Union,  was  the  great- 
est congregation  of  religious  structures  ever  known,  not  merely  on 
this  continent  but  in  the  w^orld. 

What  a  city!  What  a  population  there  must  have  been  at  that 
time  on  this  favored  spot!  This  view  is  also  strongly  evidenced  b}- 
the  fact  that  this  rich  plain,  more  than  seventy-five  miles  long,  and 
live  to  twelve  miles  wide,  is,  as  Brackenridge  remarked  three  quarters 
of  a  century  ago,  "a  veritible  cemetery  of  the  past,  and  full  of  the 
proofs  of  long  occupation."  Relics  of  the  iftone  age  protrude  fi-om 
the  banks  of  every  creek  and  ravine.  In  the  rich  fields  o2)posite  St. 
Louis,  and  for  miles  up  the  Cahokia  creek,  we  have  seen  the  market 


108  RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

gardener  literally  plow  through  human  bones.  The  little  labor  with 
which  enormous  crops  are  grown  here  would  excite  the  envy  of  tlie 
plodding  planter  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  patiently  waiting  for  the 
sometimes  tardy  flood. 

Some  eminently  travelled  writer,  after  admiting  that  Nature  stands 
revealed  on  a  grand  scale  in  America,  complains  that  this  new  world 
is  wanting  in  antiquities  like  those  so  full  of  interest  in  the  old. 
This  writer  ought  to  come  to  Cahokia,  and,  standing  on  our  Cheops, 
whose  base  covers  more  ground  than  any  in  Egypt,  look  down  on 
the  monuments  of  pre-historic  America.  When  he  asks  who  built 
them,  the  echoes  of  his  inquiring  voice  may  go  reverberating  among 
the  temples  below,  but  the  answer  will  not  return ;  for  no  one 
knows.     The  dead  past  has  indeed  buried  its  dead. 

There  is  hardly  an  antiquity  in  any  country  that  is  not  repre- 
sented here,  and  it  is  the  remarkable  similarity  of  some  of  the  more 
peculiar  that  puzzles  us.  We  have  been  in  the  habit  of  attributing 
these  evidences  of  similarity  of  thought  to  the  instinctive  impulses 
of  savage  and  untutored  minds.  We  might  as  well  say  here,  how- 
ever, that  we  now  believe  this  will  hold  good  only  to  a  very  limited 
extent.  We  say  we  are  sometimes  puzzled,  because  we  may  not 
always  be  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  points  of  our  analogies 
to  know  if  the  parallelism  is  true.  This  is  illustrated  in  the  fact 
that  having  taken  from  one  of  these  Cahokia  mounds  a  number  of 
large  sea-shells,  found  in  such  position  and  under  such  circum- 
stances as  to  leave  hardly  a  doubt  in  our  mind  that  they  were  held 
sacred  by  the  Mound-Builders,  and  used  in  their  religious  ceremon- 
ies, we  were  told  by  an  intelligt-^"^  "ud  educated  gentleman,  who 
had  spent  several  years  in  India  in  i.  employ  of  the  British 
government,  that  these  were  held  sacred  by  the  Buddhists,  because 
they  were  sinistral  or  reversed.  In  India  the  tradition  is  that  Bud- 
dha was  born  from  an  ocean  shell,  with  the  opening  on  the  left,  and 
the  whorls  reversed.  We  are  told  that  statues  of  Buddha  are  often 
seen  in  which  the  toes  of  his  feet  are  represented  by  reversed  shells, 
and  that,  from  time  immemorial,  these  shells,  turning  the  wrong 
way,  have  been  revered  in  Asia  and  wherever  the  Buddhist  religion 
is  known.  It  is  at  least  singular  that  we  have  taken  from  our 
mounds  so  many  sea-shells,  not  only  pjTula,  but  large  cassis  and 
others,  with  the  peculiarity  of  their  whorls  reversed. 

It  is  also  a  singular  fact — at  least  we  have  read  it  as  such — that 
the  great  pyramids  of  Cahokia,  like  those  of  Egypt  and  Mexico, 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  109 

should  Stand  straight  with  the  main  i)oints  of  the  compass.  We 
know  that  those  of  Cahokia  stand  thus.  If  this  is  true  of  the  others^ 
here  is  one  of  the  many  strong  points  that  would  seem  to  prove  that 
our  later  Indians  are  not  descended  from  the  Mound-Builders.  No 
matter  what  else  the  Indians  may  have  forgotten,  or  what  of 
history  may  have  passed  from  th<?m,  they  certainly  would  have  re- 
tained, if  once  they  had  known,  the  points  of  the  compass.  Had 
their  ancestors  known  the  North  Star,  they  would  know  it  to-day. 
We  have  no  information  tending  to  show  that  our  Indians  had  any 
knowledge  of  this  kind.  In  the  day-time  they  could  travel  by  the 
sun,  but  at  night  the  sky  was  a  blank  to  them,  and  they  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  stars.  A  sure  guide  in  the  heavens  at  night 
would  have  been  such  an  invaluable  acquisition  to  the  Indian  in 
the  wilderness,  that  it  would  be  indeed  strange  if,  having  once  pos- 
sessed it,  it  should  have  passed  entirely  from  his  remembrance. 


CHAPTER      XXII. 

The  Origin,  Migration  and  Fate  of  the  Mound-Builders.— Were  They  an 
Indigenous  People. — The  Origin  of^the  Red  Indians. — Their  Contact  with 
THE  Mound- Builders. — The  Origin  of  the  Symbolic  Emblems,  Etc.— What 
Became  of  the  Mound-Builders? — Did  some  Epidemic  or  Plague  Attack 
them? — Were  some  driven  into  Mexico? — Did  the  Indians  have  a  Religion? 
— The  Pueblos  and  Aztecs  have  not  Forgotten  their  Religion  though 
CoNTROLED  BY  Priests  FOR  Two  Hundred  Years.— The  Aztecs  and  Pueblos 

ready  TO  GO  BACK   TO   SUN-WoRSHIP. — HuMBOLDT'S OPINION  OF  THE  ORIGIN  OF 

THE  Aztecs  and  Mound-Builders. — The  Azticcs'  Traditions  of  their  Mi- 
grations.— Were  they  once  in  the  Mississippi  Valley? — The  Aztecs'  Dates 
AND  Calendar.— More  than  one  Influx  of  Immigrants  to  America. — The 
Geological  History  of  the  Continent  \yould  indicate  Indigenous  Races. 
— The  Traditions  of  various  Races  as  to  their  Origin.— The  Origin  of 
the  Egyptians  Enveloped  in  Obscurity.— Most  People  Point  to  the  North 
for  their  Origin. — The  Region  of  the  North  Pole  still  Unknown  to  Us. — 
Summing  up  of  the  Evidince. — Migrations  not  all  by  Land. — The  Useless- 
NESS  OF  Attempting  to  Trace  National  Affinities  by  Language.— The 
Origin  of  most  of  the  Prominent  Old  Languages  Unknown. — Wonderful 
Changes  in  European  Languages. — Language  in  other  Countries.— Each 
Indian  Tribe  with  a  Different  Language. — ThePictographs,  Symbols  and 
Emblematic  Devices  the  only  Clew  we  Have. 


T  is  proper,  perhaps,  that  we  end  our  in'  otigationsof  the  subject 
by  giving  some  suggestions  relating  to  the  origin,  migrations 
and  the  ultimate  fate  of  the  race,  or  races,  whose  relics  and  monu- 
ments we  have  been  considering  in  the  preceding  pages. 

Some  have  argued  that  the  people  found  by  Columbus,  on  the 
discovery  of  this  continent,  were  indigenous,  or  native  to  the  coun- 
try, like  the  animals,  the  trees  and  plants.  And  it  does  seem 
natural  to  suppose  that  this  great  continent,  so  richly  endowed  with 
a  fauna  and  flora  peculiarly  its  own,  should  have  had  from  its  own 
sources  its  races  of  men,  and  not  been  dependent  uppn  another  and 
widely  separated  portion  of  the  world  for  its  people. 

Some  have  argued  that  the  continents  were  not  always  so  separ- 
ated. 

One  nation  after  another,  European  and  Asiatic,  has  been  put  for- 
ward as  entitled  to  the  honor  of  having  been  the  flrst  in  the  held 
with  its  peopling  or  civilizing  colonies,  prior  to  whose  coming,  it  was 
assumed,  this  continent  must  have  been  a  desolate  waste,  without 
inhabitants. 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  Ill 

Our  own  opinion  is,  based  upon  our  investigations  in  the  field 
among  the  mounds,  tliat  this  continent  was  originally  inhabited  by 
savage  tribes,  of  whom  our  red  Indians  are  the  descendants,  changed 
very  materially  however,  hy  coming  in  contact  with  other  peoples 
who  came  from  the  old  world.  These  "  other  peoples,  "  from  their 
manners  and  customs,  and  especially  as  shown  in  preceding  pages 
of  this  work,  in  their  symbolic  devices,  seem  to  have  either  come 
from  Asia,  or  been  connected  with  some  of  the  Asiatic  races  known 
to  us.  In  our  opinion  it  is  simply  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
many  peculiar  customs  and  symbolic  devices  which  we  have  shown 
to  be  so  very  like  those  of  some  nations  in  Asia,  Africa  and  Europe, 
are  simply  the  result  of  accident.  Whatever  the  origin  of  our  later 
Indians  may  have  been,  it  is  pretty  well  established  that  the  builders 
of  the  great  mounds  and  earth-works  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  were 
not  native  to  this  country.  They  were  immigrants  from  other 
shores,  bringing  their  peculiar  customs  along  with  them.  In  the 
course  of  time,  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  they  flourished  and  became 
a  numerous  and  well  established  people,  whose  public  works,  from 


Agricultural  Implement,  17  inches  long. 

the  grandeur  and  extent  of  their  ruins,  are  as  much  a  wonder  to-day 
as  the  pyramids  and  ruins  along  the  Nile.  They  had  governments, 
and  a  religious  establishment,  and  depended  upon  agriculture  for 
their  subsistence.  But  something  happened ;  some  grand  holocaust ; 
perhaps  a  plague  or  epidemic;  and,  in  a  weakened  and  helpless 
condition,  they  fell  a  prey  to  neighboring  barbarians,  who  absorbed 
a  part  and  drove  the  remainder  away  to  be  finally  absorbed  among 
other,  perhaps  southern,  wild  tribes,  until  the  identity  of  the  nation 
was  wholly  lost.  Beside  the  ruins  of  the  places  where  they  dwelt, 
in  the  valley  of  our  great  river,  nothing  remains  of  them  but  faint 
traces  of  some  of  their  customs,  seen  here  and  there  among  the 
savages,  like  relics  protruding  faintly  from  a  wave-washed  shore, 
only  a  reminder  of  the  people  to  whom  they  once  belonged. 


112  '  RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

It  is  quite  probable  that  a  small  part  of  the  Mound-Builders  were 
driven  into  Mexico,  and  becoming  amalgamated  with  another 
people,  there  began  anew  the  struggle  for  existence,  and  in  course 
of  time  lived  over  again  some  of  their  better  days  in  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley.  We  say  they  were  driven  into  Mexico,  for  this  is  indi- 
cated in  several  ways.  Besides,  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  no  people, 
having  once  gained  a  footing  and  established  themselves  in  this 
rich  valley,  would  ever  voluntarily  leave  the  rich  fields  in  which 
were  their  great  monuments,  erected  by  long  years  of  toil.  They 
were  driven  out,  and  their  homes  became  the  sites  of  forests, — with 
here  and  there  the  huge  earthen  temples,  silent  and  half  hidden 
beneath  tangled  vines, — where  the  savage  red  man  lurked,  seeking 
for  a  wily  foe  as  savage  as  he.  What  cared  the  red  man  for 
mounds,  if  he  knew  them  not,  neither  made  them  ?  No  tradition 
ever  told  of  such  a  place  as  the  burial-place  of  his  forefathers ;  nor 
did  these  great  embankments  ever  encircle  a  home  of  his  ;  nor  did 
he  ever  have  a  home,  but  the  one  he  could  fold,  like  the  Arab,  and 
"steal  away." 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  among  our  archaeologists  and  ethnologists 
that  a  greater  part  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Mississippi  Valley, — 
in  fact  most  of  those  known  in  the  United  States, — actually  kad  no 
system  of  religion.  Some  of  the  southern  Indians  practiced  the 
worship  of  the  sun,  according  to  Adair  and  a  few  other  early  travel- 
lers who  saw  them  before  they  were  destroyed;  and  the]  Pueblo 
Indians  of  the  far  west  had  a  religion  somewhat  like  that  of  the 
Aztecs.  But  the  Indians  found  by  the  whites  occupying  the  ancient 
Mound-Builders'  domain,  if  they  ever  had  a  religion,  had  not  only 
ceased  to  practice  it,  but  had  forgotten  it.  It  did  not  even  remain  in 
their  traditions.  This  is  very  singular,  since  these  customs  are 
held  with  such  tenacity  by  nations  known  to  have  inherited  a  religious 
belief.  The  Pueblo  Indians  of  New  Mexico  and  the  West  have  been 
under  the  control  and  direction  of  Catholic  priests  for  over  two 
hundred  years,  who  have  been  zealous  to  use  every  means  to  eradi- 
cate all  pagan  rites  and  beliefs,  yet  it  is  said  that  to-day  their  old 
belief  in,  and  love  of,  their  ancient  religion  is  so  strong,  that,  with 
opportunity,  it  is  liable  to  break  out  any  day  ;  in  fact  their  ancient 
rites  are  known  to  be  still  practiced  in  secret  among  the  Zunis  and 
others  of  the  Pueblo  Indians. 

A  recent  writer  from  Mexico  says  the  same  thing  of  the  Aztecs. 
In  spite  of  the  Catholic  priests,  they  have  secret  places  where  the 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  11;5 

sacred  lire  is  kc^pt  burning;  wliile  they  are  waiting  and  lioping  for 
some  savior  Montezuma  to  come  and  once  more  establish  the  Aztec 
kingdom. 

Humboldt,  whose  opinions  have  commanded  universal  respect,  and 
who,  in  his  extended  travels  in*  this  country  at  an  early  day,  w  hen 
the  antiquities  were  in  good  preservation,  had  rare  opportunities  to 
study  the  traces  of  ancient  races  in  America,  says,  ^  "Did  the 
.nations  of  the  Mexican  race,  in  their  migrations  to  the  south, 
isend  colonies  toward  the  east,  or  do  the  monuments  of  the  United 
States  pertain  to  the  indigenous  nations  ?  Perhaps  we  must  admit 
in  North  America,  as  in  the  ancient  world,  the  similtaneous  exist- 
ence of  several  centres  of  civilization,  of  which  mutual  relations  are 
not  known  in  history.  In  further  speaking  of  these  races,  he  says : 
"  The  very  civilized  nations  of  New  Spain,  the  Toltecs,  the  Chichi- 
mecs,  and  the  Aztecs,  pretended  to  have  issued  successively,  from 
the  sixth  to  the  twelfth  century,  from  three  neighboring  countries  to 
the  north.  These  nations  spoke  the  same  language,  they  had  the 
same  cosmogonic  fables,  the  same  propensity  for  sacerdotal  con- 
gregations, the  same  hieroglyphic  paintings,  the  same  divisions  of 
time,  the  same  taste  for  noting  and  registering  everything.  The 
names  given  by  them  to  the  towns  built  in  Mexico  were  said  to  be 
the  names  of  the  towns  they  had  abandoned  in  their  ancient 
country.  The  civilization  on  the  Mexican  table-land  was  regarded 
by  the  inhabitants  themselves  as  the  copy  of  something  which  had 
existed  elsewhere,  as  the  reflection  of  the  primitive  civilization  of 
Aztlan.  Where,  it  may  be  asked,  must  be  placed  that  parent-land 
of  the  colonies  of  Anahuac,  which  during  five  centuries  sends 
nations  toward  the  south,  who  understand  each  other  without  diffi- 
culty and  recognize  each  other  as  relations  ?  Asia,  where  it  is  near- 
est to  America,  is  a  barbarous  country;  and  in  supposing  they 
came  from  Southern  Asia  the  migration  would  have  been  so  long, 
and  so  easily  intercepted  on  the  way,  that  it  would  indeed 
have  been  wonderful  had  they  retained  a  remembrance  of  the  in- 
stitutions of  the  mother-country  with  such  force  and  clearness. 
Yet  the  national  characteristics  of  the  Mexicans  point  by  analogy 
to  Oriental  Asia,  while  the  lively  remembrances  of  which  we  have 
spoken,  and  the  peculiar  physiognomy  which  Mexican  civilization 
presents  in  so  many  other  respects,  seem  to  indicate  the  existence  of 

1  "Personal  Narrative"  vol.  vi.,  p.  322. 


114  RECORDS    OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

an  empire  in  the  North  of  America,  between  the  thirty-sixth  and 
forty-second  degrees  of  latitude.  We  cannot  reflect  on  the  mili- 
tary monuments  of  the  United  States  without  recollecting  the  first 
country  of  the  civilized  nations   of  Mexico.  " 

These  are  some  of  the  results  of  the  impressions  received  by 
Humboldt  after  viewing  the  antiquities  of  America.  The  manners, 
customs  and  religion  of  the  aborigines,  more  especially  of  the  more 
civilized  nations  of  Mexico,  seemed  to  point  to  their  Asiatic  origin. 
The  Mexican  traditions  all  point  to  the  north  as  the  source  from 
whence  they  came ;  and  Humboldt  thought  their  line  of  migration, 
of  which  they  seem  to  have  a  history,  was  through  the  Mississippi 
Valley.  Those  who  have  read  our  description  of  the  Cahokia 
mounds,  with  the  great  pyramid  in  the  centre  of  the  group,  and 
noted  the  great  resemblance  to  the  Mexican  temple-mounds,  will  see 
at  once  that  there  is  reason  to  suppose  that  just  such  a  people  dwelt 
for  a  long  time  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  But  that  which 
has  been  a  very  great  obstacle  in  the  path  of  all  these  investiga- 
tions is  the  fact  that  there  are  many  difi'erent  kinds  of  mounds,  of 
different  ages,  and  made  by  people  diff'ering  widely  in  their  customs 
and  cultivation.  There  are  hundreds  of  mounds  much  older  than 
those  on  the  Cahokia,  and  there  are  many  much  more  recent.  So 
much  of  history  mixed  up  in  the  various  mounds,  and  apparently 
referring  to  different  peoples,  bothered  Humboldt ;  and  every  stu- 
dent of  archaelogy  since  has  had  the  same  difficulty  to  contend  with. 

The  Aztecs  kept  a  sort  of  history,  and  dated  their  occupation  of 
Mexico  no  farther  back  than  about  700  years.  When  they  arrived 
in  Mexico,  however,  the  Toltecs  and  Chichimecs,  to  whom  they  were 
apparently  related,  had  occupied  the  country  a  considerable  time 
before.  According  to  Clavigero,  and  some  Spanish  writers,  the 
Toltecs  had  been  in  Mexico  perhaps  a  hundred  years  before  the 
Aztecs  arrived.  And  Mexico  liad  many  mounds  and  other  ruins 
when  they  found  it. 

The  people  who  built  the  great  Cahokia  mounds,  and  left  so  many 
monuments,  symbolic  devices,  and  other  evidences  of  Eastern  origin, 
without  doubt  found  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  already  occupied 
by  more  than  one  nation ;  and  some  of  these  were  themselves  immi- 
grants from  foreign  shores,  who  had  built  mounds  upon  which  great 
forest  trees  were  growing.  This  is  quite  evident  to  one  who  has 
made  this  question  a  life-study.  Immigrants  have  followed  immi- 
grants ;  and  it  is  indeed  quite  probable   that  the  first   strangers  to 


IX  THE  MISSISSIPPI  vall]:y. 


115 


arrive  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  saw  it  peopled  with  indigenous 
inhabitants,  who  began  life  on  the  continent  in  the  same  way  as  did 
the  trees,  plants  and  animals.  No  naturalist  would  venture  to  ask 
how  this  continent's  peculiar  flora  or  fauna  came.  They  came  with 
the  continent ;  a  part  of  creation.  And  amidst  this  grand  disj)lay  of 
animated  life  ;  amid  the  vegetation  and  the  animals — for  tlie  ani- 
mals came  last — there  was,  quite  without  a  doubt,  man.  It  was  a 
finished  continent,  which  necessarily  includes  vegetation  and  animal 
life ;  and  the  animal  life  of  a  continent,  however  exuberant,  would  be 
incomplete  without  the  higher  animal,  man.  The  geological  history 
of  the  life  of  the  continent  shows  that  America  was  not  in  any  par- 
ticular behind  other  continents  in  the  formation  of  its  animal  life. 
We  doubt  if  there  is  an  animal  in  the  world,  fossil  or  living,  but 
that  we  have  its  representation  in  the  fossils  from  the  rocks  of  the 
United  States.  We  have  even  more,  for  some  of  the  common  domes- 
tic animals  of  the  Old  World  are  so  rarely  shown  as  fossils,  that  it 


Elephas    Primige^neus. 

has  sometimes  been  doubted  if  it  was  their  orignal  home.  Thus,  in 
the  United  States,  there  have  been  found  about  forty  species  of 
horse  fossil,  the  earliest  no  larger  than  a  rabbit ;  fifteen  species  of 
camel,  and  all  the  animals  of  tropical  countries.  We  have  in  our 
own  collection,  obtained  from  the  loess  on  the  banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, the  perfect  teeth  of  no  less  than  three  species  of  elephant  beside 
the   mastodon.     And   although   we  have   found  no   fossil  man,  the 


116  RECOKDS    OF   ANCIENT   RACES 

fauna  of  the  continent  was  on  such  a  grand  and  niagnilicent  scale 
that  to  believe  it  was  still  finished  and  complete,  in  the  absence  of 
Man,  is  almost  sacrilegeous. 

There  is  no  doubt  man  appeared  as  soon  as  the  continent  was 
fitted  for  him  to  live  upon  it,  many  ages  ago.  But  there  are  certainly- 
few  men  so  foolish  as  to  even  suppose  that  the  primitive  men  of  this 
or  any  other  continent  commenced  with  the  intellect  and  reasoning 
powers  of  a  Baron  Von  Hum  bolt.  The  primitive  men  of  America 
were  without  doubt,  like  our  own  forefathers,  in  the  beginning 
savages. 

The  question  before  us,  however,  is  not  exactly  as  to  how  this  con- 
tinent became  originally  peopled,  but  more  as  to  how  civilization 
commenced  and  was  disseminated.  If  we  knew  this  we  would  have 
the  history  of  our  Mound-Builders.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  most 
nations  have  traditions  of  migrations  ;  even  the  Egyptians,  who  have 
a  record  of  their  own  civilization  longer  than  that  of  any  other  peo- 
ple, perhaps  ;  because  they  have  monuments  four  thousand  years 
old  that  show  an  advanced  civilization.  Even  the  Egyptians,  accord- 
ing to  the  early  writers,  had  traditions  of  migrations ;  and,  singular 
as  it  may  seem,  these  traditions  would  seem  to  point  to  some  other 
people  from  whom  they  had  learned.  According  to  the  story  of 
Solon,  sfs  given  by  Plato,  the  Egyptian  priests  had  preserved  these 
traditions  of  their  migrations  from  another  country.  Wilkinson,  ^ 
who  has  studied  this  subject  thoroughly,  says  :  ''  The  origin  of  the 
Egyptians  is  enveloped  in  the  same  obscurity  as  most  people  ;  but 
they  were  undoubtedly  from  Asia,  as  is  proved  by  the  form  of 
their  skulls.  "  But  even  on  the  Nile  there  was  an  aboriginal  i)()pula- 
tion  to  be  dispossessed  by  the  Egyptians  ;  and,  according  to  Wilk- 
inson and  others,  beneath  the  foundations  of  the  ruins  on  the  Nile 
are  still  to  be  found  the  rude  stone  implements  of  the  people  who 
lived  there  before  the  Egyptians  came. 

It  is  a  little  singular  that  the  traditions  of  most  people  point  to  the 
North  as  the  direction  of  their  origin  ;  and  this  is  still  more  strange 
since  it  is  held  by  people  in  the  far  North.  When  that  intrepid 
voyager,  who  made  the  Northwest  passage  through  the  Arctic  sen, 
passed  the  fearful  winter  in  the  frozen  region  far  above  Nova  Zem- 
bla,  his  winter  quarters  were  near  a  village  of  Arctic  natives,  called 
Innuits.     Among  these  people,  in  this  inhospitable  land,   Norden- 

1  '•  Ancient  Egyptians,'"     vol.  1.  p.  802. 


IN   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  117 

feldt  and  his  ship's  crew  spent  the  long  winter.  Among  other 
things,  he  was  surprised  to  learn  that  the  traditions  of  the  natives 
all  pointed  to  their  origin  in  the  still  farther  North,  indicating  that 
they  had  emigrated  from  the  North  and  dispossessed  some  other 
people,  whom  they  drove  south.  They  even  pointed  out  the  ruins  of 
the  abodes  of  the  people  whom  they  found  in  possession  of  this  in- 
hospitable region. 

The  region  of  the  North  Pole  is  still  unknown  to  us  ;  but  it  is  a 
well-known  fact  that,  as  far  north  as  our  most  intrepid  explorers 
have  gone  into  those  frozen  regions,  there  are  inhabitants  who  eke 
out  an  existence  there,  as  is  shown  by  the  narratives  of  Dr.  Kane 
and  others.  It  is  indeed  remarkable  that  the  inhabitants  of  this 
frigid  zone  seem  to  be  coming  from  the  north,  instead  of  receding 
before  some  foe  from  the  south.  Much  of  the  interest  in  these 
apparently  useless  explorations  into  the  Arctic  Circle  is  due  to  the 
possible  explanation  of  some  of  the  most  singular  facts  in  the  ques- 
tion of  the  origin  of  races. 

To  sum  up  the  main  part  of  the  evidence,  it  would  seem  to  be 
proven  that  this  continent,  being  originally  inhabited  by  savages, 
lias  been  invaded  from  time  to  time,  for  ages,  by  inhabitants  from 
the  Old  World.  Some,  it  may  be,  came  by  land ;  others  by  the  sea, 
involuntarily  it  may  have  been,  by  being  thrown  out  of  reckoning  by 
storms,  and  drifting  on  to  the  shore  of  an  unknown  continent.  From 
the  days  of  the  Phoenicians,  or  even  before,  this  might  have  hap- 
pened. A  few  people  it  may  have  been ;  but  these,  by  superior 
intelligence,  having  once  obtained  a  foot-hold  among  the  native 
inhabftants,  finally  left  the  impress  of  their  presence  in  the  mounds 
and  other  structures,  where  we  find  tokens  of  the  customs  and 
religion  of  the  country  from  whence  they  came. 

The  long  migration  by  land,  coming  from  Asia  by  the  way  of 
Behring's  Strait,  is  a  difficult  one  to  realize ;  but  assuming  this  as 
possible  even  now,  it  is  quite  evident  that  the  very  last  of  these 
movements,  according  to  the  Mexican  history  (which  is  the  only  one 
seeming  to  have  any  sort  of  authenticity  in  the  way  of  dates),  must 
have  been  a  thousand  years  ago.  Although  the  time  of  this  migra- 
tion, as  given  by  the  Mexicans,  is  tolerably  well  established,  the 
direction  and  route  by  which  they  travelled  into  Mexico  (except  per- 
haps some  evidence  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  especially  on  the 
Cahokia,)  is  not  yet  made  clear. 
It  is  quite  probable   that  some,   if    not  all,  of   these  foreigners 


120  RECORDS   OF   ANCIENT   RACES. 

century  before,  retaining  a  dialect  which  at  home  had  became 
obsolete. 

Any  one  who  has  heard  the  Irish  and  Scotch,  and  the  Welsh, 
speak  English  in  America,  so  as  to  be  scarcely  understood  at  all  by 
an  Englishman,  can  Imagine  how  a  dialect  might,  if  isolated,  soon 
become  a  language  totally  unlike  the  original.  In  fact,  at  this  day, 
in  Scotland,  Ireland  and  even  England,  an  American  can  hardly 
understand  the  native  dialects,  and  his  experience  there  is  very 
similar  to  that  undergone  in  any  other  foreign  country  with  an 
unknown  language. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  why  each  Indian  tribe  had  a  different 
dialect,  and,  if  separated  for  some  years,  would  have  a  different 
language.  We  have  ourselves  seen  white  men  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, who,  although  their  parents  were  Americans,  and  they  had 
first  learned  the  English  language,  having  spent  the  main  part  of 
their  lives  among  the  Indians  and  French  traders,  spoke  a  patois  of 
their  own  that  was  almost  wholly  unintelligible  to  us.  They  had 
a  language  of  their  own.  Old  trappers  on  the  frontier  soon  acquire 
a  dialect  of  their  own,  intermingled  with  signs  and  Indian  words. 
Our  own  knowledge  of  the  Indians  has  convinced  us  that  no  tribe 
would  long  sustain  a  language  without  interpolations  and  changes  ; 
and  we  are  not  at  all  surprised  that  each  tribe  had  a  different  one. 
They  have  no  literature,  no  books.  Some  leading  orator,  however 
uncouth  in  words  and  manners,  would  be  followed  for  a  while,  until 
another  was  heard.  There  is  absolutely  no  guide.  The  one  with 
the  most  impressive  manner  would  convey  the  meaning  quickest. 

So  we  have  concluded  nothing  can  be  learned,  bearing  on  the 
origin  of  the  Indian,  from  his  language.  We  may  say  the  same  of 
his  myths  and  legends.  But  from  the  ancient  pictographs,  symbolic 
devices,  emblems  and  rudesignsof  the  Mound-Builders  we  have  one 
feeble  clue  by  which  at  this  late  date  to  trace  something  of  then- 
origin.  In  our  opinion  it  is  an  important  question ;  for  it  has  an 
important  bearing  on  the  history  of  all  mankind.  To  aid  in  eluci- 
dating it  we  have  worked  long  and  diligently,  much  of  the  time 
without  the  advantages  of  a  guide  ;  and  in  these  pages  we  have  en- 
deavored to  give  the  reader  the  results  of  our  investigations  ;  which 
we  think  will  include  some  things  not  generally  known  on  the 
subject.  If  we  have  succeeded  in  awakening  his  interest  we  are 
not  without  our  reward. 


wmm 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

913.77M11R  C003 

RECORDS  OF  ANCIENT  RACES  IN  THE  MISSISSI 


3  0112  025332443 


